SpaceX CRS-25 to Launch Stem Cells to Space on June 9
Cedars-Sinai Scientists Will Test Whether it is Possible to Produce Large Batches of Stem Cells in a Low Gravity Environment
WHAT
Cedars-Sinai and Space Tango are launching pilot-scale systems for the in-space production of stem cells to see if they can elevate the next generation of stem cell and gene therapies by harnessing the near-zero gravity conditions of spaceflight.
This mission, funded by a NASA Research Announcement award, will help researchers explore the effects of microgravity on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The work can potentially lead to better ways to manufacture large numbers of cells in the absence of gravity.
Microgravity has become of great interest to stem cell scientists due to unique properties it grants to biological tissues and processes that could potentially help mass-produce cells or other products in a way that is not possible to do on Earth.
WHEN
The launch to the International Space Station on SpaceX CRS-25 is currently scheduled for Thursday, June 9, at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Watch the launch live: NASA Live.
WHO
Clive Svendsen, PhD, executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and co-principal investigator on the mission.
Dhruv Sareen, PhD, executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center and co-principal investigator on the mission.
MISSION DETAILS:
Launch Location: Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch Provider: SpaceX
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9
Capsule: Cargo Dragon
RELATED LINKS:
- Cedars-Sinai Looks to Space for Tomorrow's Stem Cell Therapies
- Manufacturing Stem Cells in Space
- On-orbit Manufacturing
- Study of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) in Microgravity
Follow Cedars-Sinai on Twitter at @CedarsSinaiMed and scientists @dsareen and @CliveSvendsen to get live updates of the mission.