NASA [Smds] 4 Agencies Select 8 Research Projects to Extend Longevity of 3D Tissue Chips to 6 Months
NASA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are excited to announce the award of eight contracts in a multi-agency collaboration that will extend tissue viability and physiological function to a minimum of 6 months using automated engineering capabilities for real-time online readouts in complex human in vitro models, such as tissue chips or microphysiological systems.
The scientific objectives of these investigations are to better understand 1) disease models, 2) drug development, 3) clinical trial design, 4) chemical and environmental exposures and countermeasures, and 5) physiological changes due to the spaceflight environment. In-depth characterization is a critical next step in the evolution of these technologies, particularly when considering acute versus chronic exposures.
This effort, sponsored by NASA’s Space Biology Program, reflects a collaboration between NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA’s Human Research Program, the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI), BARDA, and the FDA. The agencies selected projects that will adapt existing 3D tissues and microphysiological systems (MPS) — also known as “tissue chips” or “organs-on-chips” — to 1) expand tissue viability and robust function for a minimum of 6 months, and 2) fully test and validate these models for acute and chronic stressors.
The selected studies aim to fund the development and validation of tissue chips that can function successfully for 6 months or longer in an automated fashion, to be used for modeling of acute and/or chronic exposures (e.g., to drugs and other compounds, radiation, environmental hazards, infection, microgravity exposure, etc.).
Awards will be made to the following eight investigators from eight institutions in six states. When fully implemented, a total of approximately $16 million will be awarded in fiscal years 2022-2026.
The list of awardees can be found at https://science.nasa.gov/
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