UF Muscle Cell Experiment To Study Age-Related Muscle Loss Aboard International Space Station

An out-of-this-world mission may help University of Florida researchers understand why adults lose muscle strength as they age. Tiny muscle cells contained on tissue chips are part of an innovative experiment bound for the International Space Station.

The study, led by Siobhan Malany, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacodynamics in the UF College of Pharmacy, will help scientists understand microgravity effects on human muscle cells and could aid the development of new therapies for age-related muscle loss on Earth.

“Astronauts experience extreme muscle weakness in space, and similar muscle changes occur when people age on Earth, although at a much slower pace,” Malany said. “If you study age-related incidences, you have to look over many years to see changes. In space, the microgravity effect accelerates muscle mass changes. Our experiment should provide some great insight into muscle cell biology and why tissues respond differently in space.”

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