Chinese scientists have reported findings recently in their latest experiments aboard the Tiangong space station: while brain cells migrates faster, muscle repair process is more slowly, and medicines for lipid metabolism disorders show a pronounced boost in potency in weightless environment.
The discoveries could reshape approaches to Alzheimer's therapy, muscle-atrophy prevention and next-generation drug research and development.
"Currently, our in-orbit observations show that neurons in organ-on-a-chip move faster in space than on the ground. This may indicate that the unique environment of space promotes cell movement in our brain tissue," said Jin Xuena, principal designer of life sciences of the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
A parallel experiment tracking skeletal-muscle precursor cells shows the opposite trend.
In the weightless environment, the cells' migration rate drops sharply and the overall timeline for muscle regeneration is delayed.
The finding underscores the difficulty of repairing damaged muscle in space.
A third study examined how lipid-nanoparticles ferry nucleic-acid drugs into cells.
On-orbit data reveal that cellular uptake of the drug is markedly higher in microgravity, and levels of disease-related proteins decline more rapidly.
"In a space environment, the therapeutic effects of drugs for lipid metabolism disorders are significantly enhanced. Therefore, the microgravity environment in space may serve as a new approach for future drug intervention or drug development," said Jin.
Experiments in China's space station create new path for treating brain disorders
Russia on Friday reported seizing eight cities and towns over the past week, while Ukraine claimed on the same day that its forces had stabilized the situation in the direction of Kupyansk, according to two separate statements released by the two sides.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past week, its forces had controlled eight cities and towns, including Seversk, over the past week in the special military operation zone.
It also said that in response to Ukraine's attacks on the civilian facilities in Russia, the Russian armed forces had launched one large-scale attack and five coordinated attacks from Dec 6 to Dec 12.
The targets included Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises and their associated fuel and energy facilities, transportation infrastructure, and airports and ports used for Ukrainian military operations, as well as temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.
The National Guard of Ukraine reported advances in the direction of Kupyansk, controlling two settlements and multiple districts in the northern part of the city and cutting off Russia's supply lines to the strategic hub.
It said the situation in the direction of Kupyansk had been stabilized.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Friday that its forces had attacked a Russian oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region, aiming to cut off the Russian military's fuel supply chain.
It also said that on the same day, the Ukrainian forces had launched multiple attacks in the direction of Donetsk, destroying a Russian ammunition depot and hitting a concentration site of Russian personnel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday on X that he had visited the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine.
During the visit, he met with the Ukrainian troops to mark the Land Forces Day and presented state awards to them.
Kupyansk, a key rail and road logistics hub, has seen intense battles since the autumn of 2024. In November this year, the Russian forces claimed that they had captured the city, according to local media reports.
Russia reports seizing settlements as Ukraine claims gains in direction of Kupyansk
