Kentucky is investing $300,000 into space research that Senate President Robert Stivers said sets the state up as “a leader in all areas.”
The money — which was allocated in the 2024 legislative session’s Senate Bill 1 — is a 10% match for a $3.1 million NASA grant announced Wednesday.
The money will allow the Louisville nonprofit National Stem Cell Foundation to continue researching the way brain cells behave in microgravity in the hopes of finding better treatments — and cures — for Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.
The total grant will support three missions to the International Space Station (ISS) through 2027 and fund more research on the ground. Since 2019, the foundation has sent organoids, which it describes as “tiny 3D replicas of an organ that mimic cell behavior,” to the orbiting laboratory across six missions.
Once the cells are in space, scientists can better see how they change over time and use the information to produce treatments.
Dr. Paula Grisanti, the CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation, said the research is all about “leveraging the accelerated environment of microgravity” to find cures.
“Solving the puzzle of these diseases will have a knock-on effect for these and other neurodegenerative diseases that include ALS and a number of rare childhood disorders,” she said.
“This is truly cutting edge research,” Stivers said. He also pointed to the “serious health challenges” facing Kentucky.
The money allocated for this research “reinforces our dedication to improving health outcomes, enhancing quality of life, and increasing longevity,” he said. “By helping people live longer, healthier, and more productive lives, we are strengthening families, communities, and the future of the Commonwealth.”
Mackenzie Wallace, the director of public policy at the Alzheimer’s Association, said new research is much needed and appreciated — more than 81,000 Kentuckians live with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“Those numbers are probably likely to be higher, because it’s not always easy to get a diagnosis,” Wallace told the Lantern. “We also know that, to go with that, there’s about 175,000 caregivers that are providing hundreds of hours and millions of dollars in unpaid care to take care of those Kentuckians that are living with the disease. So, it has a great impact on the Commonwealth.”
Kentucky also has about 5,000 people with MS and 12,000 with Parkinson’s. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, though new treatments have proven promising when used in the early stages of the disease.
“This (research) makes me very excited for what could continue to be coming down the pipeline, and … what can continue to be happening right here in Kentucky, which is probably the most exciting piece of all,” Wallace said.
This story originally appeared at kentuckylantern.com.
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