Developing a story, or a piece of artwork, around the CELL is a magical ride through the fascinating world of “what’s inside” and how might it affect our “OUTside”. I am fascinated by the magical and very precious role of the STEM CELL. Having worked in health care for many years, the fascination continues…what, when, why, and HOW?

A stem cell has the unique ability to develop into specialized cell types in our body. In the future, they may indeed be used to replace cells and tissue that has been somehow damaged and/or lost to the disease.

Like our own artwork, Stem Cells are defined by two characteristics:

They can make copies of themselves or SELF RENEW

They can differentiate, or develop into more specialized cells

Considering the value of the research and study of stem cells, we have looked into how we might attract the study in the young and eager students working in university settings to gain an understanding of the basic biology of how living things work and what happens in different types of cells during disease. If we understand stem cell development, we might be able to replicate this process to create new cells, tissues, and organs.

IMAGINE:

We can grow tissue and organ structures from stem cells.  And while we know there is a great need for stem cell research and study, with everything that is happening in our world these days we are understudying what is vitally important. Therapy development is crucial, and to replace lost or damaged cells that our bodies cannot replace naturally, we know that to replace lost or damaged cells we need more research.

As a cancer survivor, I am excited to know that stem cells in space are being studied in pursuit of developing therapeutics for diseases from cancer and aging to neurodegenerative and heart diseases. Thus, learning more about stem cells in space is not only significant for understanding the impact of extraterrestrial travel on the body but can also make significant contributions to terrestrial human health.