A groundbreaking project led by Dr. Tammy T. Chang from the University of California, San Francisco, is set to transform the future of liver transplantation and tissue engineering. The research, conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS), focuses on the self-assembly of human liver tissues in low Earth orbit (LEO), where microgravity presents unique advantages over Earth-based techniques. The innovative work could significantly improve the creation of complex liver tissues for medical use on Earth, with key findings and transport strategies to be shared at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco.
Harnessing Microgravity for Tissue Development
Dr. Chang’s laboratory is using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — cells reprogrammed from normal human cells to function like embryonic stem cells — in their space-based experiments. These iPSCs are assembled into liver tissues that function similarly to a simplified liver. Unlike traditional tissue engineering methods that require external matrices or culture plates, microgravity allows the cells to float and organise naturally, leading to more accurate physiological development.
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