- The AstroCardia project, a collaboration between five Belgian companies and research centers, aims to send a 3D-bioprinted “heart-on-a-chip” to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2025.
- The project seeks to leverage the unique conditions in space, where aging processes occur 20 times faster, to study heart aging and develop a new research model for cardiovascular diseases.
Belgium, August 23, 2023 – A consortium of five Belgian companies and research centers has announced the AstroCardia project, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to send a 3D-bioprinted miniature heart to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2025.
A New Frontier in Cardiovascular Research
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide. The AstroCardia project, a collaboration between Space Applications Services, SCK CEN, QbD Group, BIO INX, and Antleron, aims to develop a suitable research model for studying heart aging. “In space, factors such as stress, microgravity, and radiation cause those aging processes to occur 20 times faster,” said Hilde Stenuit, project coordinator and researcher at Space Applications Services.
The Marvel of 3D Bioprinting
The project involves creating a “heart-on-a-chip,” a chip of a few square millimeters on which heart muscle cells are printed. “The ‘ink’ consists of biomaterials and stem cells that can develop into any possible cell in the body,” according to the press release. The cells begin to divide and organize themselves into a developing human heart model, known as a cardiac organoid. An artificial circulatory system feeds that heart with stimuli, oxygen, and nutrients until it matures and begins to beat. The chip will be monitored in real-time for at least six weeks in space and analyzed upon its return to Earth.
A Leap Forward in Personalized Medicine
“The biggest advantage is that we can personalize them by using stem cells from the patient themselves,” said Dr. Kevin Tabury, SCK CEN radiobiology expert. “This would represent a great leap forward in personalized medicine.”
Financial and Technological Backing
The project has received financial support from VLAIO as ICON intercluster under grant agreement number HBC.2022.0569. Specialized bio-ink is used for the 3D bioprinting, and the consortium can count on the expertise of Belgian start-up BIO INX. “Bio-ink is a kind of gel, which makes cells printable and in which they can survive during and after printing,” said Jasper Van Hoorick, CEO at BIO INX.
Belgian Consortium Sends 3D-Printed Mini Heart to ISS for Groundbreaking Cardiovascular Research
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