Long-duration space missions generate various risk factors that significantly impact astronauts’ brain structure and function, with potential long-term effects yet to be studied. Human central nervous system neurons encapsulated in a microfluidic biodispositive could avoid the use of animals to study these processes.
What are the effects of space travel on brain function?
These effects include changes in brain morphology and cognitive abilities, including attention and decision-making. Acute exposure to microgravity is known to affect spatial orientation and sensory-motor coordination, while chronic exposure is thought to damage sensitive neuronal structures and induce epigenetic changes in their DNA, leading to impaired cognitive and behavioral functions. Cosmic radiation, moreover, can lead to β-amyloid accumulation, neuroinflammation and cognitive alterations. Space flight could also accelerate cerebral aging, alongside the effects observed on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. The latter are the main focus of the International Space Station Research Laboratory, but few studies have been carried out on the role of microgravity in age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
A suborbital flight study to investigate the electrophysiological behavior of neurons in the human central nervous system
Studying the behavior of neuronal cells during exposure to microgravity in low-Earth orbit is an essential first step towards understanding the effects of microgravity on brain function.
This study details the preparation and validation of this neuronal microfluidic biodisplay associated with an integrated 3D microelectrode array to study electrophysiology, i.e. the real-time analysis of electrically active neurons, providing information on their behavior under the extreme environmental conditions imposed by spaceflight. Initially, the device’s function was tested with rat hippocampal neurons. The system was then applied to human glutamatergic neurons for eight days prior to suborbital flight. Tests confirmed cell viability, and the system was integrated into a “CubeLab” to maintain a controlled environment.
Conclusive results
Results showed that human neurons exposed to microgravity exhibited altered expression of glutamate transporters while maintaining markers of neuronal differentiation. These results offer a promising platform for understanding neurological disorders, neuroinflammation and the cognitive impacts of space travel, with wider applications for brain health research on Earth.
This model also offers other benefits over rodent cultures: greater relevance for human application, reproducibility and flexibility.
Source Padilla et al. Adoption of microfluidic MEA technology for electrophysiology of 3D neuronal networks exposed to suborbital conditions. Microgravity 2025,11:20
