Saudi Arabia is sending disease research into space. The goal is to advance Alzheimer’s and MS treatments

Saudi Arabia has launched biological samples from the Middle East into space for the first time as part of a research program exploring whether microgravity can help advance treatments and drug discovery for Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

The samples were carried aboard SpaceX CRS-35 to the International Space Station (ISS) with support from NASA as part of the BioGravity-1 mission, a research program led by the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

The mission marks the first phase of a three-part program exploring how cells respond to microgravity, enabling researchers to test disease models in an environment that cannot be replicated on Earth. Scientists hope these conditions will reveal cellular changes associated with aging and neurological diseases, potentially accelerating drug discovery and deepening understanding of neurodegenerative conditions.

The first phase involves samples from healthy human donors, providing a baseline for future experiments. The second will study cell models derived from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, while the third will focus on how those models respond to potential treatments, with the aim of identifying potential drug targets in microgravity.

“The launch of these samples is an important scientific step toward harnessing the space environment to serve human health, and reflects the growth and readiness of national capabilities to take part in advanced research,” said Rayyanah Barnawi, Saudi Astronaut and General Supervisor of Microgravity Research at the Saudi Space Agency.

“Through the BioGravity program, we aim to turn knowledge gained in orbit into research opportunities that deepen our understanding of diseases and support the development of future therapies,” Barnawi added.

The mission will also see scientists from the National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF) test a technique known as the “Brain Organoid Village” in microgravity for the first time. It is a concept that combines multiple cells from multiple donors in laboratory-grown brain tissue models.

“I am especially excited about this mission,” said Dr. Pinar Mesci, Scientific Advisor to the National Stem Cell Foundation and Global Head of Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology at Axiom Space. “By combining multiple individual cell lines within a single organoid, it enables population-level studies and makes it possible to run what could be described as clinical trials in a dish,” he said.

This will allow scientists to simulate and screen for drug safety, genetic responses, and disease progression at the population level before testing them in humans.

The mission forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader push to strengthen its capabilities in microgravity research and life sciences. Through its BioGravity program, the Kingdom aims to expand international scientific partnerships and harness space technology to advance human health and quality of life in line with its Saudi Vision 2030.