Neural Stem Cells
Figure 2: Micrograph of human neural stem cells cultured for 45 days in nor- mal gravity [7]. Credit: UCLA, Dr. Espinosa-Jeffrey.
Oligodendrocytes produce electrical insulating mem-
Figure 1: SpaceX CR-16 lift-off with human neural stem cell experiments aboard. The experiments to test whether cell proliferation is increased in micro- gravity were designed and implemented by Dr. Espinosa-Jeffrey and managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA.
National Laboratory), which is pursuing research on the effects of microgravity on cells to better study diseases and therapies aimed at prevention and treatment.
Methods and Materials Te NASA experiment, dubbed BioScience-04: Te Impact
of Real Microgravity on the Proliferation of Human Neural Stem Cells and Derived-Oligodendrocytes, was launched in the SpaceX CRS-16 Dragon capsule in December 2018. Two types of cells, neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (Figure 2), were studied in space. Neural stem cells produce all three major nervous system cell types: neurons, and the two kinds of cells that support neurons, astrocytes and oligo- dendrocytes. Neural stem cells also produce progenitor cells, which are like stem cells because they divide to produce new cells but are more limited because they cannot divide and pro- duce new cells indefinitely. One kind of progenitor cell pro- duced by neural stem cells is the OLP cells, which become mature oligodendrocytes (Figure 3).
2020 September •
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branes known as myelin sheaths that coil around neuro- nal axons allowing signals to move along nerves at normal speeds, making these cells vitally important to nervous sys- tem health (Figure 4). Determining if these important cells divide into two daughter cells faster in the microgravity environment of space will help scientists study the cell-sig- naling pathways that determine cell function, proliferation, and differentiation.
Figure 3: Mature oligodendrocyte in maturation medium expressing myelin basic protein (red) and sulfatides (green). Credit: UCLA, Dr. Espinosa-Jeffrey.
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