First-Ever Mouse Embryos Grown in Space

Scientists have successfully grown mouse embryos on the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time, in an effort to understand the potential risks and challenges of human reproduction in space.

The research, led by Teruhiko Wakayama at the University of Yamanashi in Japan, was prompted by the possibility of long-duration space travel, such as a trip to Mars, where it would take more than six months to reach the destination. Wakayama and his team wanted to ensure the safety of pregnancy and childbirth in space during such missions.

The experiment began on Earth, where the scientists extracted embryos from pregnant mice at a very early stage and froze them. The frozen embryos were then sent to the ISS on a SpaceX rocket, where they were stored and later thawed by the astronauts. The embryos were cultured for four days in the microgravity environment of the space station and then chemically preserved and returned to Earth.

The purpose of the experiment was to assess whether the embryos’ development was affected by exposure to radiation and microgravity in space. The study found that the embryos did not show signs of DNA damage from the radiation exposure and displayed normal structural development, including the differentiation into two groups of cells necessary for fetal and placental development.

While this is an important milestone, it is still unclear whether later stages of embryo development would be disrupted by prolonged exposure to space conditions. However, a previous study involving pregnant rats on NASA spaceflights suggested that full-term development could be possible in mammals. The researchers now plan to further investigate the viability of embryos exposed to space radiation and microgravity by testing if these embryos can successfully implant in female mice and develop into healthy offspring. They also aim to explore the possibility of creating embryos via IVF using mouse sperm and eggs in space.