Why send mice to space? Clarification from NASA’s chief veterinarian

This study is the first of its kind to report on mice that returned alive from the International Space Station. Why does nasa send lemmings to“space?

Chad Foster – one of the goals Rodent research tasks It is to better protect humans in spaceflight and life in space in the distant future. If we want to send humans to Mars, for example, we need to know how wounds heal in space and how humans respond to medication in a zero-gravity environment. These experiments, which cannot be performed on Earth due to gravity, help us answer them.

Why is this a mouse animal model instead of another? Dogs, fish or even monkeys have already been sent into space …

Of course, we only use mice when it is an appropriate animal model. But it is one of the types that has many advantages. First, its small size: We don’t have much room on board the International Space Station. We transfer a maximum of 40 mice and our experimental groups are generally between 5 and 8 individuals. (There are generally many more than that, often 100 to 1000 on Earth, editor’s note). Also, mice seem to adapt quickly to life in space. They float and push themselves against the bars of the cage in which they are fitted and move slightly as if they were running on a wheel. Finally, we know the mouse genome and proteome very well, as it is a widely studied model organism.

Prior to the experiment recorded in Cell Reports In 2017, Rat is no longer alive from her expedition. Why?

At that time, we were more limited by the release of charging and recharging technology. The ships were able to bring back valuable specimens, but not cargoes of live animals. Today, this is no longer the case. New launch ships, like SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon, can return to Earth with cages while still maintaining a safe environment for mice.

What has changed with regard to research?

It’s a huge advantage. Clearly, returning to Earth safely is an essential part of space exploration. This allows us to study the effects on health. For example, the reproductive cycle of mice can be modified in space. By bringing them back to Earth, we can examine not only the impact of return, but also their ability to reproduce after exposure to the space environment.

These experiments allow us to understand how the space environment can affect human fertility. These are things we could never have studied so easily before! In addition, the ability to recreate live animals allows for more diverse experiments, and improves our knowledge of each mouse.

Thus, these expeditions make possible the advancement of biomedical research in the broadest sense…

Not all studies conducted aboard the International Space Station are intended to directly support space exploration. For example, we found that exposure to the space environment causes changes in the eyes of mice. This is very similar to the oxidative stress observed in age-related macular degeneration in humans… On Earth, this phenomenon is difficult to study in animals, because they have to be left to age. With the International Space Station’s microgravity, changes happen very quickly. We can test ways to combat this phenomenon in much shorter studies, from 30 to 60 days, rather than several years on Earth.

Do you also conduct animal experiments on Earth?

Yes, all of our research aboard the International Space Station involves control groups on Earth. This allows us to better isolate the variable or variables of interest in the experiment, which are usually related to the space environment (such as microgravity). We also reproduce the temperature, humidity, and air composition that rodents are exposed to in space.

What rules do you have to follow when it comes to animal welfare?

NASA requires that all research it funds comply with Public Health Service policy on the humane care and use of laboratory animals and others’Animal Welfare Act, as well as relevant animal welfare regulations. The agency recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institutes of Health to negotiate Public Health Service animal welfare safeguards with institutions that receive NASA support for research, education, and experiments involving animals.

We also have our own policies and guidelines that override all federal requirements. Our ethical principles state that every study should be evaluated against three principles:

Also read this testimony: “I have never met a researcher who was happy to harm an animal”

Concretely, what does this mean?

This means that we carefully evaluate any use of animals to ensure that the potential benefits to humanity justify it. We also take appropriate measures to minimize animal distress. For example, we make sure the rodents are acclimated for several weeks, particularly to the type of food and light cycle of the International Space Station before missions.

You mentioned alternatives to animal testing. Is sending mice into space the only way to do your research?

No, at NASA we also do many animal-free ground studies. In cell studies especially in the laboratory and computer simulation. We also use our archived data extensively for new discoveries.

Let’s not forget: if we plan to continue exploring other planets or other celestial bodies in the distant future, we may well bring animals with us. Therefore, this research benefits both humans and animals.

The research projects, which focus on both the scientific value of the experiment and animal welfare issues, are reviewed at two levels, internally within the space agency rather than at the US national level. “We need to make sure that the experiment uses as few animals as possible, that the experimenters have considered alternatives to any procedures that may be traumatic or painful, that they minimize pain as much as possible, and that the procedures are scientifically justified.” NASA says.

Read also: In the data – who are these animals that live in our laboratories?

For research aboard the International Space Station, it is an institutional committee made up of a chair, chief veterinarian (Chad Foster), scientists, non-scientists, and a member of the public independent of NASA to vote to approve the proposed research. “For research involving an animal to be approved, a quorum is required and we vote a majority,” explains Chad Foster.