On Feb. 17, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS-NL) update the biomedical community about a unique setting — spaceflight — to study aging and age-related diseases.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) are bioengineered microfluidic devices (micro-sized fluid channels) seeded with human cells and tissues, which allow researchers to mimic organ systems and functions. MPS have many advantages compared with traditional cell cultures and animal models. The systems provide a more accurate model of the human body for identifying how diseases work, testing new therapies and checking for drug toxicity. MPS are quickly becoming vital tools for drug discovery, regulatory approval, safety and efficacy tests, and precision medicine.

Tissue Chips in Space 2.0 is a follow-up to the Tissue Chips in Space initiative that began in 2016. That initiative sought to create tissue- and organ-on-chip models that could be sent to the ISS-NL. Tissue Chips in Space 2.0 is focused on refining tissue chip technology by creating and using multiorgan MPS to better model the whole body. In 2025, NIH selected six grants through a cooperative agreement, which is a funding method that has two phases. In the first phase, researchers will design MPS that mimic complex organ systems.

The MPS will be validated and tested on Earth and in space to ensure the chips are functional and sustainable for experiments at the ISS-NL in demonstrating an accurate representation of normal and diseased human states. After NIH review, the second phase will allow selected researchers who developed successful chips to send their MPS into low Earth orbit at the ISS-NL to show the functional utility of the models. These models will help us understand the effects of microgravity on human physiology and age-associated conditions and to identify novel targets for drug screening.

Using the faster rate of aging seen in space, these studies at the ISS-NL will identify clinically relevant markers of disease, pinpoint mechanisms that promote disease progression and examine possible therapies for a number of conditions. These efforts could provide key data and create a preclinical framework to inform clinical trials for aging-related decline and diseases. This research can also help address the challenges related to the effects of low Earth orbit and deep space exploration on astronauts’ health.