Seven years ago, a group of researchers started an unprecedented project to discover how the human body reacts and heals in microgravity conditions, anticipating health-related challenges of future space missions. From such an ambitious vision the project “Suture in Space” was born. The project, conceived and promoted by Dr. Monica Monici of the University of Florence, was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and coordinated and funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
The project aims to study the wound healing process in space, providing key answers to guarantee the health of astronauts during long-duration space missions. In order to reach this goal, human tissue samples were sent into orbit, subjected to microgravity, and monitored in the delicate early stages of tissue repair. Yet, the scope of this research goes beyond space: the technologies and knowledge developed could be implemented in the medicine used on Earth, especially in the field of tissue regeneration and post-operative techniques.
As a matter of fact, the discoveries, which emerged over years of studies and international collaborations, have confirmed that microgravity affects the healing process by slowing it down. A result that brings up fundamental questions for space medicine and that could also have a direct impact on Earth.
The Main Stages of the Project
What makes “Suture in Space” a success story is the integration of skills and innovations. The project has developed a technique that allows tissues to remain viable for over a month, a result that could also be used in the field of tissue engineering and offer new solutions to regenerative medicine.
After years of planning, “Suture in Space” entered its operational phase in November 2022 with the launch of biological samples aboard the SpX-26 mission (Cargo Dragon 2) from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida (US).
Between 28 November and 7 December of the same year, the samples, taken care of at the International Space Station (ISS), were incubated and subjected to the first experiments. Then they were frozen and returned to Earth for further analysis.
After about two years of studies, on 15 October 2024, during the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, the final results of this experiment were presented: wounds heal more slowly in space than on Earth, due to the different behaviour of cells responsible for regeneration, such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes.
Dr. Monica Monici explained the importance of this research: “In microgravity, many biological processes, including wound healing, undergo alterations. Studying this phenomenon allows us to provide new solutions, not only for space but also for Earth.”
Researchers and Collaborations
The project is the result of an international research network, involving experts and universities from different countries, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Among these are the University of Milan, University of Siena, University of Molise, University of Amsterdam, University of Aarhus, and University of Lucerne. Each contribution has contributed to build an increasingly detailed picture of the effects of microgravity on the human body.
The project was also supported by Revée, a Turin-based company that was new to space but specializes in post-operative medical devices on Earth. Stefano Borgia, CEO of Revée, underlined the relevance of promoting space scientific research, since it offers important benefits and represents a business opportunity also for the biomedical sector on our planet. As a matter of fact, according to Borgia, the “Suture in space” experiment has allowed us to understand how space can influence the formation of scars, while contributing to the development of specific post-operative products to treat scars.
A Future between Innovation and Science
One of the most innovative aspects of the project is a technique that has been developed to make explanted tissues viable for over a month. This result opens new perspectives for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, demonstrating how space research can have concrete implications in everyday life.
A Story of Science and Humanity
“Suture in Space” is not just a scientific experiment, but a symbol of excellence and collaboration. It is proof that the desire to explore the unknown can push us towards new discoveries, transforming challenges into opportunities.
To find out more about the project, on Revée News website you can find interviews with Dr. Monica Monici and her colleague Dr. Marco Bernini, breast surgeon at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, where they discuss the challenges and opportunities of “Suture in Space”. Dr. Monica Monici describes the difficulties and satisfactions of such an innovative project, by saying that “space offers a different point of view to study biological processes.”
Dr. Marco Bernini also underlines the importance of the results: “This research not only sheds light on space medicine but also opens up new perspectives for the treatment of complex wounds here on Earth.”