Three University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have received funding from the National Institutes of Health to spearhead a pioneering biomedical research initiative that will send human tissue samples into space in efforts to unlock insights into the cellular processes involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The $2.8 million UG3 grant will fund the study, “Exploiting accelerated aging associated with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment to gain insights into pathogenesis and treatment of progressive neurological disorders.” It is a collaborative effort led by faculty in UAB’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Medicine. The project leverages the unique conditions of space to simulate accelerated aging, offering a novel approach to studying neurodegenerative diseases.

“The primary objective of this study is to understand the role of aging in the pathogenesis of progressive neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease,” said the investigators from this multi-PI team. “The space environment is associated with accelerated aging, and we seek to exploit this phenomenon to rapidly age cerebral organoids to identify on cellular processes, especially those critical in mediating cellular senescence that are drivers of disease progression of Alzheimer’s.”

Cerebral organoids lab-grown three-dimensional models of the human brain will be housed in specially designed hardware that will be placed on a spacecraft and launched to the International Space Station. They will remain for 30 days and will be exposed to conditions that will mimic the aging process at an accelerated rate. Upon their return to Earth, researchers will analyze the organoids to identify molecular and cellular changes that may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

The UAB team of researchers launched the project in September 2025 and hopes to uncover new therapeutic targets and strategies that could ultimately lead to more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s and other progressive neurological disorders.

Source: https://www.uab.edu/news/research-innovation/uab-awarded-grant-to-launch-space-based-study-on-aging