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China grows blood stem cells in space in what scientists say is first-of-its-kind experiment
- Cells cultivated on Tiangong space station’s lab module return to Earth, where they will continue to be tested and analysed, Chinese team says
- The work lays a solid foundation for further study of regenerative medicine in space, according to lead researcher
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Chinese scientists say they have conducted a first-of-its-kind experiment to produce blood stem cells in space.
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The stem cells were brought back to Earth by the Shenzhou 15 spacecraft on Sunday after being cultured for half a month in the Wentian lab module of China’s Tiangong space station.
Lei Xiaohua, a researcher with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the experiment, said his team would carry out testing and analysis of the cells.
After the completion of the experiment, China is expected to become the first country to create early-stage blood stem cells in space, Lei told China Science Daily on Sunday.
The cells were brought to China’s space station by the Tianzhou 6 cargo spacecraft on May 10. The experiment was conducted after the Tianzhou 6 docked with the space station.
Lei’s team put human pluripotent stem cells – embryonic cells that can give rise to all major human cells – into the cell culture module on Tianzhou 6. After docking, the cells were placed in the biotechnology experiment cabinet in the Wentian lab module.
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