The
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the National
Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), today
announced a
funding opportunity focused
on human physiology and disease onboard
the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. Both
the NCATS and the NIBIB are part of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). Data from this research — which will feature “Tissue Chips” (or
“organs-on-chips”) — will help scientists develop
and advance novel technologies to improve human health. This
announcement is part of a four-year collaboration through which NCATS
will provide up to $7.6 million, subject to funding availability, for
research investigations onboard the ISS National Laboratory
for the benefit of life on Earth.
The
NCATS released the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in
partnership with NIBIB and CASIS to solicit applications through its Tissue
Chip for Drug Screening program for research on microphysiological systems using the ISS National Lab. This FOA is a reissue of the
FOA released last year that subsequently resulted in the award
of five projects.
Recent advances in bioengineering have enabled the manufacture
of microphysiological systems using human cells on chips representing
functional units of an organ, which replicate the physical and
biochemical environment in tissues. In parallel, recent developments in
stem cell technology now make it possible to cultivate
tissues from humans with specific genotypes and/or disease phenotypes.
Advancing this research on the ISS National Lab promises to accelerate
the discovery of molecular mechanisms that underlie a range of common
human disorders, as well as improve understanding
of therapeutic targets and treatments in a reduced fluid shear,
microgravity environment that recapitulates cellular and tissue matrices
on Earth.
“This
new funding opportunity in partnership with NIH provides investigators
another path to accelerate biomedical research in a microgravity
environment, opening a door to new discoveries in
space that will improve health on Earth,” said CASIS Deputy Chief
Scientist Dr. Michael Roberts. “With the inclusion of the NIBIB leading
the development and application of biomedical technologies and NCATS
leading the translation of discovery science to new
treatments and cures for human disease, the ISS National Lab is proud
to be another crucible of medical innovation.”
“This
collaboration will allow us to better understand disease processes in a
way we never could before, and improve human health by deploying tissue
chips technology at the ISS-NL,” said Danilo
A. Tagle, Ph.D., NCATS associate director for special initiatives.
“Physiological changes, such as aging, tend to be more dramatic under
microgravity, and can provide insights that can translate to identifying
novel targets for drug discovery and development,
and more effective treatments here on Earth. This effort also provides
the chance to work with the space implementation engineers and payload
developers to transform tissue chips into a turnkey technology.”
“This
joint effort is an opportunity to further develop and refine
organ-on-a-chip platforms for research in space,” said Šeila Selimović,
Ph.D., director of the NIBIB program in Organs on a
Chip. “The inclusion of bioengineering approaches in this program
will provide unique technologies for improving our understanding of
human health and disease.”
CASIS
is the nonprofit organization responsible for managing and promoting
research onboard the ISS National Lab. NCATS was officially established
in fiscal year 2012 to transform the translational
science process so that more treatments and cures for disease can be
delivered to more patients more quickly. The NIBIB is focused on
improving health by leading the development and accelerating the
application of biomedical technologies. Through this funding
opportunity, CASIS and NASA will facilitate on-orbit access to the ISS
National Lab, while NCATS and NIBIB plan to fund the selected projects
to advance fundamental science and engineering knowledge. CASIS, NCATS
and NIBIB hope to encourage investigators with
expertise in materials science, microfabrication, microfluidics,
universal media, stem cell technology, tissue engineering, disease
modeling, and developing spaceflight experiments for the ISS National
Lab to consider applying for funding.
All proposals must be submitted by January 16, 2018.
To
visit the funding opportunity, learn how to submit your proposal and
get the latest information on this initiative, please visit:
www.casistissuechip.blogspot.
To
learn more about the on-orbit capabilities of the ISS National Lab,
including past research initiatives and available facilities, visit www.
