The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been awarded a $2.8 million National Institutes of Health grant to support a groundbreaking biomedical experiment that will send human brain tissue models into space in hopes of unlocking new insights into Alzheimer’s disease.
The project — officially titled “Exploiting accelerated aging associated with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment to gain insights into pathogenesis and treatment of progressive neurological disorders” — will be led by researchers from UAB’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Medicine.
According to UAB, the study will use the unique environment of Low Earth Orbit to simulate accelerated aging, potentially revealing how age-related cellular changes contribute to 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,” the investigators said. “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.”
The experiment centers around cerebral organoids — three-dimensional, lab-grown models of the human brain. The samples will be housed in specialized hardware, placed aboard a spacecraft and launched to the International Space Station.
They will remain in orbit for 30 days before being returned to Earth for detailed molecular and cellular analysis.
UAB researchers launched the project in September 2025 and hope the results may help identify new therapeutic targets and inform more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s and related disorders.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, a nationally recognized research institution and academic medical center, reports more than $780 million in annual research expenditures and an annual economic impact of $12.1 billion within Alabama.
With over 28,000 employees, UAB is one of the state’s largest employers and offers more than 180 degree programs to more than 20,000 students.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
