This $400,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET), under CFDA 47.041 Engineering program, will fund The Johns Hopkins University to develop engineered heart tissue chips for testing nanoparticle-based countermeasures against spaceflight-induced heart disease.
The research aims to investigate whether nanoparticles designed to scavenge reactive oxygen species can prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and protect against cardiac abnormalities caused by the unique environmental conditions of spaceflight, such as microgravity and radiation exposure. The engineered heart tissue chips will be tested both on Earth and aboard the International Space Station over a one-month period, with real-time force measurements to assess the tissues' functional condition. Key experimental outcomes will include contractile function, DNA damage, mitochondrial health, cellular reactive oxygen levels, and calcium handling. This project seeks to advance understanding of spaceflight's impact on cardiovascular health and explore potential countermeasures that may also benefit the aging population's heart disease on Earth.
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