Scientists send stem cells to space in hopes of curing MS and Parkinson’s disease – FOX 5 DC

Stem cells sent to space

A team of scientists is working on research that is quite literally out of this world. Their ultimate hope is to stop diseases like Parkinsons and multiple sclerosis, and theyre going to incredible lengths to do it.

BETHESDA, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A team of scientists is working on research that is quite literally out of this world.

Their ultimate hope is to stop diseases like Parkinsons and multiple sclerosis, and theyre going to incredible lengths to do it.

"The best case scenario is that we discover that there is a fundamental difference between cells being in space and being on the ground," explained Dr. Jeanne Loring, a Parkinsons expert whose cells were sent to the International Space Station earlier this month as part of the project.

She explained how her skin cells were turned into stem cells which were turned into brain cells, all in a lab.

Then, they were sent to space aboard the 25th SpaceX cargo mission along with about 400 other samples, including some from patients with Parkinsons or MS.

"The hope is that youll begin to see a spot where things start to go south, and you can intervene with a new drug or cell therapy that would benefit millions of people around the planet," said Paula Grisanti, the CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation, which is funding the research and has about $1 million invested in the project to date.

"Once you knock that first domino over for neurodegeneration with Parkinsons and MS, then youre gonna get Alzheimers and ALS and multiple rare childhood disorders," Grisanti added. "This is a new way, a totally new way of looking at it."

Its actually the fourth time the team has sent cells to space. The plan is to keep the experiments going as long as theyve got the funding, and people like Loring have the cells.

"I have no idea whether theyre going to be useful or not," Loring said before joking, "but I sure hope they behave themselves."

For more information about the project, visit the National Stem Foundation's website.

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Scientists send stem cells to space in hopes of curing MS and Parkinson's disease - FOX 5 DC