S. Arabia advances neurodegenerative disease research through space mission
Saudi Arabia has launched the first biological samples from the Middle East into space, marking a major milestone in the Kingdom’s growing space and life sciences programs, Qazinform News Agency cites SPA.
The mission, known as BioGravity-1, was launched aboard the SpaceX CRS-35 resupply flight to the International Space Station in cooperation with NASA. The initiative is being led by the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as part of a long-term research effort focused on Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
During the mission’s first phase, researchers sent biological samples from healthy human donors into space to establish a scientific baseline for future studies. Scientists will use the microgravity environment aboard the ISS to examine cellular changes linked to aging and neurodegenerative disorders.
The research program includes two experiments, SSA-1 and SSA-2, developed by KAUST. It is being conducted in partnership with the U.S.-based National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF) and Axiom Space, with NASA support.
Saudi astronaut and SSA microgravity research supervisor Rayyanah Barnawi described the mission as an important step toward leveraging the space environment to advance human health research and strengthen national scientific capabilities.
KAUST bioscience professor and project lead Imed Gallouzi said the mission allows researchers to investigate disease models under conditions that cannot be replicated on Earth, potentially contributing to future medical discoveries.
According to Pinar Mesci, scientific adviser to the NSCF and global head of biomanufacturing and biotechnology at Axiom Space, the mission will also test the “Brain Organoid Village” concept in microgravity for the first time, enabling population-scale studies using multiple cell lines within a single organoid.
The BioGravity program consists of three phases. The first focuses on healthy reference samples, the second will examine models derived from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, and the third will explore therapeutic responses and potential drug targets in microgravity.
Saudi officials say the initiative supports efforts to expand scientific research, strengthen international partnerships, and harness space technologies to improve healthcare outcomes in line with Vision 2030.