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
China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.
The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.
Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.
Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.
The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.
Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.
"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.
China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth
