Space manufacturing of a bone tissue destined for patients on Earth?

Abstract

Space exploration is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks ever undertaken since the emergence of humankind. The International Space Station is a unique platform for advanced technology research that is not possible anywhere else. Tissue engineering in outer space, where state of the gravity can be ‘turned off’ or ‘turned on’ in the case of application of centrifuges, is a new research field with high-value goals. The microgravity conditions allow to design novel biomaterials that cannot be produced on Earth but benefit the Earth civilisation. Developing and manufacturing a biomaterial to address a space-based challenge may lead to novel biomaterials that will find important applications in medicine on Earth and/or for long-duration space missions. Today, there are only a handful of emerging biomaterials that have been tested in space, none of which have been used for their eventual function. This paper presents advances in space technology via 3D magnetic assembly: the development of synthetic bone graft constructs aboard the International Space Station during expeditions 60/61 with clear evidence of the materials' functioning in preclinical (animal) tests on Earth. The results indicate high osteoconductivity and ultimately a good rate of tissue formation by the bone grafts prepared in space.