(LB01-22-25) Zero-G IngredientsTM: A New Class of Bioactives Supporting Human Health Based on Testing in the Extreme Environment of the International Space Station

Objectives: Bioactive ingredients are the cornerstone for food-as-medicine approaches that focus on preventative healthcare rather than sick-care. These ingredients are typically validated by preclinical testing followed by human studies on Earth. For non-drug applications, preclinical models are exposed to stressors, while in clinical studies the appropriate non-diseased population must be identified which can be a major challenge. It is well recognized that space is an extreme stress, disuse, and accelerated aging environment with astronauts experiencing a variety of pathophysiological symptoms. Here, this extreme environment is proposed as a new paradigm for bioactive testing using established preclinical models. Such an approach can guide the development of bioactive ingredients that support robust health and resilience in sub-populations exposed to extreme and chronic stressors.

Methods: With the growth in space economy and collection of significant biological data on the International Space Station (ISS), a new wave of commercial opportunities is arising for in-space testing. In this study, NemaLife’s Zero-G Ingredients^TM platform is presented which includes space-compatible hardware for testing of bioactive ingredients in the nematode C. elegans, with outcomes focused on clinically relevant gene biomarkers. The space-flight experiments involve flying thousands of nematodes consuming the bioactive ingredient to live on ISS for a defined period. The worm-subjects are returned to Earth frozen, and transcriptomic study results are compared with 1g control group living on Earth.

Results: Existing space-omics datasets from C. elegans, mammalian models, and humans are analyzed to identify genes that are dramatically altered in spaceflight. Curated gene lists are catalogued for human health indications relevant for muscle preservation, stress resilience, cognition, metabolic health and longevity. Benchmark gene expression data sets collected from Earth experiments will be presented on bioactive ingredients with published clinical efficacy. These datasets form the basis for space-flight studies on ISS.

Conclusions: NemaLife’s Zero-G Ingredients^TM platform enables testing of bioactives on the ISS. This approach could lead to a new class of nutritional ingredients that improve human resilience to extreme stress.

Funding Sources: NemaLife Inc