The Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off for the International Space Station on Thursday is carrying much more than the four astronauts on board.
The payload of the SpaceX craft, launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, includes material for experiments that could improve understanding of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Small brain models derived from stem cells, some from patients with the diseases under study, are being taken on to the ISS for the two week mission.
The New York Stem Cell Foundation is closely involved and this week’s Axiom 3 mission represents the fourth launch of its cell models to the ISS.
“Findings of microgravity experiments could help lead to new therapeutics for treating neurodegenerative diseases on Earth,” said Dr Scott Noggle, senior vice president for research at NYSCF.
This week’s mission is also notable because one of those taking part, Alper Gezeravci, is Turkey’s first astronaut.
The 3D brain models are tiny clusters of nerve cells that have been created in the laboratory from cells taken from adults, some of whom have Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis.
They have been reprogrammed so that they behave like stem cells, which can turn into any specialised type of cell.
Carrying out research – whether in a normal laboratory or in microgravity – with cells taken from patients with particular conditions helps scientists to look into the genetic factors related to the diseases.
Learning about diseases
“This allows us to replay a disease process over and over under different conditions to help discover the rules for how genetic factors increase our risk of disease,” Dr Noggle said.
Microgravity provides “unique stresses to brain and immune cells” and offers researchers, Dr Noggle said, a different perspective on disease, including what triggers it. It may also give a better understanding of how different cells in the brain interact in the disease process.
The experimental set-up that can be created through microgravity would, Dr Noggle said, “be difficult to accomplish on Earth”.
“In particular, we are curious about the behaviour of microglia, or the immune cells of the brain,” he added.
“They dynamically change shape when sensing their local environment and reacting to the disease state, and we believe that microgravity might alter this process.
“So, microgravity serves as a unique circumstance in which to tease apart healthy and diseased behaviours in microglia, pointing us toward new treatment targets.”
NYSCF scientists including Dr Noggle, plus researchers from other organisations including the National Stem Cell Foundation, last year published findings from a study on brain models that had been on the ISS for 30 days.
For the research, cells were donated by four people, one of whom had primary progressive multiple sclerosis, another of whom had Parkinson’s disease and two of whom had no known disease.
Cell proliferation or multiplication was lower in the samples cultured in the ISS compared to those cultured on Earth, and the nerve cells aged faster in space.
In their paper, released in August last year and based on a mission that ran from December 2019 to January 2020, the researchers said that it was important to carry out further similar studies to see if the effects of microgravity would be replicated.
As well as potentially leading to a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer’s, the research could provide insights into how spending time in space affects people.
Previous research has indicated that microgravity may cause shifts in the fluids within the skull and alter brain matter itself.
“Such studies may ultimately aid in developing countermeasures for the effects of microgravity on the nervous systems of astronauts during space exploration,” the scientists wrote in their paper.
Understanding how space travel affects people is becoming more important now that more are going to space, Dr Noggle said.
“When astronauts return to Earth, they have demonstrated changes in their biology,” he said. “We are just now delving into the full effects of microgravity and space flight on human health, and studying stem cells in space can help.”
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
More coverage from the Future Forum
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
