Saudi Arabia has launched biological samples into space for the first time from the Middle East as part of a research programme investigating neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS).
The BioGravity-1 mission, led by the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), travelled aboard SpaceX’s CRS-35 mission to the International Space Station, with support from NASA. The initiative aims to explore how microgravity affects cellular behaviour and could improve understanding of disease mechanisms.
KAUST developed two biomedical experiments, SSA-1 and SSA-2, for the mission. The initial phase uses reference human samples from healthy donors to establish a baseline for future research. Subsequent phases will examine disease models derived from patients with Alzheimer’s and MS, followed by studies exploring therapeutic responses and potential drug targets.
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Professor of Bioscience at KAUST Professor Imed Gallouzi, who is also the lead scientist of the project, said the mission enables researchers to test disease models in an environment that cannot be replicated on Earth, and strengthens the university’s contribution to discoveries that benefit patients in the Kingdom and around the world.
Scientific Advisor to the National Stem Cell Foundation and Global Head of Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology at Axiom Space Dr. Pinar Mesci said: “I am especially excited about this mission, as the NSCF team will test the ‘Brain Organoid Village’ concept in microgravity for the first time. Combining multiple individual cell lines within a single organoid enables population-level studies and makes it possible to run what could be described as clinical trials in a dish.” The mission included samples from Saudi Arabia through a collaboration with the Saudi Space Agency and KAUST.
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Researchers are also developing brain organoids, laboratory-grown models that reproduce certain characteristics of brain tissue. Studying these models in microgravity may reveal biological changes that are difficult to replicate in Earth-based laboratories and help guide future drug discovery.
BioGravity comprises three connected missions, with the broader goal of strengthening Saudi Arabia’s biomedical research capabilities and training scientists in microgravity research. The initiative also supports the Kingdom’s ambitions under Saudi Vision 2030 to advance scientific innovation and apply space technology to healthcare.
Although the research remains in its early stages, the programme could provide new opportunities to investigate neurodegenerative diseases and explore potential approaches to treatment development.
