ISSRDC 2021: Tissue Chips in Space: Exploring Therapeutic Drug Development and Countermeasures

Microphysiological systems (MPS) integrate technologies such as cell biology, tissue engineering, and microfabrication in order to create in vitro models of human organs and tissues. These systems hold potential for overcoming some of the shortcomings inherent in traditional cell culture and animal models. MPS platforms have been utilized to test drug efficacy and safety and recently have been integrated into programs aimed at overcoming the COVID pandemic and opioid crisis.

During this session, we will discuss some of the recent results obtained from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Tissue Chips in Space initiative, which aims to utilize the ISS and MPS technology to expedite therapeutic development for people on Earth. We will also discuss how MPS platforms are being applied to identify effective countermeasures for the risks associated with deep space human exploration.

Moderator:
Dr. Michael Roberts, Ph.D., Vice President, Science and Technology and Acting Chief Scientist, CASIS (manager of the ISS National Lab)

Panelists:
Siobhan Malany, Ph.D.: President and Founder, Micro-gRX

Al Grodzinsky, Sc.D.: Professor of Biological, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, MIT

Deok-Ho Kim, Ph.D.: Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine