Tash Mahnokaren
Staff Writer
The work of Idaho State University Associate Professor of Physiology and Director of the ISU Biomedical Research Institute Shawn Bearden and his students has allowed Idaho State University to form a connection with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to do research on upcoming International Space Station (ISS) missions.
“It was about a year and a half ago ago that I got a phone call from a project leader out of NASA who said that he knew of the work that we had been doing in my laboratory at [ISU] on leaky blood vessels that they thought were related to some of the things that they were experiencing with their astronauts,” said Bearden.
Bearden’s work at ISU concerning the study of capillaries and blood vessels in the brain, spinal cord and eyes posed a correlation to NASA’s concerns and he was invited to research the situation and submit a proposal.
While Bearden’s research relates to how the opening of capillaries in these organs contributes to dementia, NASA believes that leaky blood vessels in their astronauts are leading to visual impairments both short and long term.
A strange phenomenon, this was in relation to astronauts as the blood vessels in these particular organs that, according to Bearden, contain the natural properties of being tight and constricted to prevent leakage.
“We submitted that proposal about five months ago and just heard that we were awarded the grant to do that work,” said Bearden.
Speculations, according to Bearden, suggest that microgravity, radiation and high levels of carbon dioxide in the confinements of the ISS or a combination of any of the aforementioned factors could be responsible for the visual impairments.
According to the guidelines of the grant, Bearden will be sending mice on the NASA space shuttle. The first set of mice is expected to go up on the International Space Station in the spring.
Bearden started his research with humans 18 years ago in sport performance and has been working with mice for the past 12 years.
The properties in question and previous research and evidence obtained by Bearden and his team suggests that most mammals, including mice, have identical biological workings to that of humans.
“They will spend a few weeks there and what we will be studying are their brains and their eyes, looking at the tiny blood vessels and the molecules that hold all their cells together and how they might be changing,” said Bearden. “We will also be measuring the amount of leakiness so we can see parts of the blood that are outside of the blood vessels in the tissue.”
Second sets of mice are anticipated to go up on the ISS either next fall or spring of 2016, allowing for Bearden and his team to conduct follow up research on the condition.
Bearden expressed that research often prompts more questions in addition to answering queries previously of concern and hopes to conduct further experimentation following his study of the second set of mice.
“The astronauts do an amazing job,” said Bearden. “This is what the ISS is all about, it’s about doing collaborative research in space.”
Prior to departure, astronauts are trained in many different experiments and protocols. According to Bearden, a typical day for astronauts on the ISS essentially consists of conducting research for people on earth. There is also a NASA ground team that is in constant communication with the astronauts of the ISS in assisting them when needed.
“We have given them a very detailed protocol of exactly what to do,” said Bearden of the mice under astronaut supervision. “They might be working with beetles or soil samples and then they will move over and work on the next experiment.”
Bearden expressed visual impairments in astronauts is the biggest physiological concern currently confronting NASA. He wants to understand the reason behind this phenomenon in hopes of providing treatment for astronauts.
“We want our work to be applicable and we want to know that what we’re doing is helping, and there’s been no opportunity that we’ve had in the past to have such an immediate and direct connection to the people were helping,” said Bearden.
In addition to sending mice on the ISS, land-based research is also being done where mice are given radiation to study their physiological response.
“What was noticed by NASA in our expertise is the track record that my lab has but that’s not me, that’s my students,” said Bearden. “It is really the hard work and success of students that has won this connection with NASA.”
