For decades, awareness about space biology has been understood to be the interest of astronauts and space organizations. However, the reality is that the interest is changing rapidly, and the launch of the Trivedi Institute for Space & Global Biomedicine is a clear testament to this assertion that research that benefits ordinary human lives on Earth is being taken seriously.
In particular, it is an extreme biological stress test that causes muscle wasting, bone loss due to the effects of zero gravity, as well as unpredictable responses in immune cells. Moreover, while it takes years for the general population on Earth to develop diseases such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and immune disorders, in zero gravity such effects are observed in merely weeks. Such effects allow scientists the rare opportunity of gaining insight into the mechanisms of various diseases in the quickest manner.
This has profound implications. Notably, the findings generated by the field of spaceflight biology are beginning to inform measures that can prevent muscle atrophy in bedridden patients, enhance the ability to contend with the dangers of radiation in the treatment of cancer, and illuminate poorly understood aspects of the immune system that characterize the process of aging and various diseases. Space biology is no longer a scientific oddity but possibly a powerful tool for translational purposes, where lessons drawn from space may completely transform the manner in which diseases are prevented and managed on Earth. Pitt’s new Trivedi Institute will translate space science into human health breakthroughs | University of Pittsburgh
In many ways, space medicine is not even concerned with astronauts anymore; it’s concerned with pushing the frontiers of biomedical science.
