Page 57 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Scientific Highlights from the International Space Station

The diverse array of space station research has led to a steady stream of publications among the
international partnership that have contributed to the advancement of science across many disciplines.
Such results have advanced scientific knowledge in a variety of areas, including physiology, biomedicine,
radiation, plant biology, physical sciences, elucidation of space, and observations of Earth. Only the
space station can enable access to such a unique laboratory where every variable—including gravity—
can be manipulated to lead to new discoveries and new scientific questions.

Physiological Systems to microgravity. Genetic analysis also revealed a
significant increase in activity in two genes that may
Investigations performed on the space station are
designed to study risks to human health that are be involved in mitochondria function, thus indicating
inherent in space exploration, as well as to advance that osteoclast activation might be linked to the
reaction of mitochondria to microgravity. These results
understandings of health on Earth. These investigations
address the mechanisms of the risks of living in space, suggest that a common regulator of immune and
and also enable the development and testing of stress response may be exhibited during spaceflight,
countermeasures to reduce these risks. Results from thereby contributing to the understanding of the
this body of research are critical enablers for missions mechanisms behind bone density and organ tissue
changes in space (Chatani, et al, 2015 and 2016;
beyond LEO and also contribute fundamental scientific
knowledge in physiological systems. Murata et al., 2015). In the nematode, C. elegans,
changes in gene expression associated with energy
metabolism and muscle attachment complexes have
Animal Studies also been observed when flown to the space station.
Specifically, these muscle attachment complexes are
Investigations of medaka fish flown in an aquatic associated with a muscle intrinsic repair mechanism,
habitat on the space station revealed that the mineral which appears to have relevance to human muscle
density of the upper pharyngeal bone and the tooth atrophy (breakdown) with disuse and possibly aging
region decreased by about 24%, and the osteoclast (Honda et al., 2012).
(i.e., cells that break down bone) volume increased
compared to ground control fish. Some genetic Results of mouse research on the space station have
changes were found with the brain, eye, liver and shown changes in many physiological systems as a
intestine, with the intestine being most sensitive result of living in microgravity. Mice flown on a 17-day
mission to the space station exhibited unexpected
bone loss in the mandible and skull, which are not the
usual load-bearing bones that are most sensitive to
bone loss in space (Ghosh 2015). In another study,
when mice were centrifuged at 1-gravity (1-g) during
their stay on the space station, they maintained muscle
and bone mass but exhibited an overall decrease

Results from this body of research
are critical enablers for missions
beyond LEO and also contribute

Video screen shot of medaka in the Aquatic fundamental scientific knowledge
Habitat onboard the Kibo. in physiological systems.
Image credit: JAXA

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