Johns Hopkins scientists study aging and heart disease by sending heart “tissue-on-a-chip” to space

Space travel takes a toll on the human body. In fact, it's estimated that spending six months in microgravity can age organs and bones at least 10 years.

But for a team of Johns Hopkins scientists, the acceleration of aging in space provides a unique opportunity to better comprehend the condition that remains the leading cause of death in America: heart disease.

"Human aging is very difficult to study because it takes a long time to see if any therapeutics make an impact," says Deok-Ho Kim, a professor of biomedical engineering. But, he notes, in a low-gravity environment where cardiovascular dysfunction occurs much more quickly, its progression can be closely monitored. 

In March, Kim and other JHU researchers sent human heart "tissue-on-a-chip" specimens to the Inter­national Space Station, or ISS. During its month there, the heart muscle tissue was treated with three different FDA-approved medications to determine how each one might slow the aging process. 

Read the full news article at https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2023/summer/nasa-heart-tissue-space-station/