Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey.
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1298:105-132. doi: 10.1007/5584_2020_539.
Challenging environment of space causes several pivotal alterations in living systems, especially due to microgravity. The possibility of simulating microgravity by ground-based systems provides research opportunities that may lead to the understanding of in vitro biological effects of microgravity by eliminating the challenges inherent to spaceflight experiments. Stem cells are one of the most prominent cell types, due to their self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. Research on stem cells under simulated microgravity has generated many important findings, enlightening the impact of microgravity on molecular and cellular processes of stem cells with varying potencies. Simulation techniques including clinostat, random positioning machine, rotating wall vessel and magnetic levitation-based systems have improved our knowledge on the effects of microgravity on morphology, migration, proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Clarification of the mechanisms underlying such changes offers exciting potential for various applications such as identification of putative therapeutic targets to modulate stem cell function and stem cell based regenerative medicine.
太空充满挑战的环境会引起生命系统的多种关键改变，尤其是微重力的影响。地面模拟微重力的系统为研究提供了机会，有助于理解微重力对体外生物的影响，同时消除太空飞行实验固有的挑战。干细胞是最突出的细胞类型之一，因为它们具有自我更新和分化的能力。在模拟微重力下对干细胞的研究产生了许多重要的发现，阐明了微重力对干细胞分子和细胞过程的影响，不同的干细胞具有不同的潜能。包括常平架、随机定位机、旋转壁容器和基于磁悬浮的系统等模拟技术，提高了我们对微重力对干细胞形态、迁移、增殖和分化影响的认识。阐明这些变化的机制为各种应用提供了令人兴奋的潜力，例如确定潜在的治疗靶点，以调节干细胞功能和基于干细胞的再生医学。
