Microglia cells growing in a culture dish (63x magnification)

jsc2019e040134 (7/18/2019) --- Preflight images of Microglia cells growing in a culture dish (63x magnification). Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and play a role that is not fully understood in neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis. The cells shown here were differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells that were made from a patient’s skin biopsy. The Effects of Microgravity on Microglia 3-Dimensional Models of Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis (Space Tango-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells) examines how microglial cells grow and move in three-dimensional (3D) cultures as well as any changes in gene expression that occur as a result of microgravity exposure. Microglia are a type of immune defense cell found in the central nervous system. Results may help provide novel approaches to characterizing, understanding, and developing therapies for Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. (Image courtesy of: New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute)