Billings Clinic physician-led NASA study takes orbit with blood cell study

Almost two years ago, Billings Clinic announced that one of its Bozeman-based occupational medicine physicians had been leading efforts on a NASA space biology research project alongside an expert team from the University of Utah. On Monday, Nov. 4, those efforts took a giant step forward when a rocket carrying the project, led by Billings Clinic Bozeman physician Hansjorg Schwertz, launched into orbit.

The study was initially one of 10 selected by NASA in 2021 to expand understanding of how living systems respond, adapt and acclimate to the space environment. The project itself was focused on the effects of space travel on certain blood cells and could have implications on the health and well-being of astronauts for the travel and exploration of space.

After nearly three years of work, Dr. Schwertz’s hope to watch the launch has become a reality. The experiment, called MeF1, went up onboard the SpX CRS-31 rocket to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

Dr. Schwertz serves as co-primary investigator for the project alongside Matthew Rondina, MD, professor of internal medicine and pathology at the University of Utah Health. While Schwertz fills the role of Montana-based project lead, he also serves as an adjunct faculty at the University of Utah. The two work among a group of highly qualified and highly invested investigators and technicians.

The study is looking specifically at the effects of space flight, micro-gravity and space radiation on megakaryocytes, which are the cells in the bone marrow responsible for making platelets. Platelets are small circulation blood cells, which aid in stopping bleeding events and coordinate responses to infectious disease but can also induce blood clots if overly activated.

“In the isolated environment of a space station, clots can present a serious problem,” Dr. Schwertz explained. “You don’t want to have astronauts developing any occlusive thrombi [blood clots] up in space. It requires a lot of logistics and a lot of treatment.”

The study is in orbit now, and findings upon its return could help develop measures to prevent dangerous blood clots from forming in astronauts while on space missions and lead to better treatments for clotting and immune disorders back on earth.

In addition to the flight experiments, ground control studies will be performed, including the simulation of the exposure to galactic cosmic rays. The research team, including Dr. Schwertz, will be carefully watching the studies in real time from the ground, and will analyze experiments when they return to Earth in the near future.

The studies aim to provide unprecedented insight into the adaptation processes needed for megakaryocytes and platelets to function under conditions experienced by humans during space flight. Additionally, the research team hopes to directly address health concerns of crew and commercial passengers that currently limit human space exploration, which could assist in developing specific countermeasures to those concerns. Specifically, results generated by the NASA-funded study could help to address the function of the immune system, dysregulated inflammatory reactions and inadvertent blood clot development in space crews.

“Our results will hopefully have implications for professional astronauts on low earth orbits, but also for when we travel out farther,” Schwertz said. “In addition, this could have applications for space tourism. You have to remember, it takes a lot of resources to train people and get them up there, so you don’t want to have anything medically happening, especially if it would have been preventable.”

Schwertz tried to put into words his feelings having now watched the fruit of his team’s efforts blast into space. He describes a peculiar notion.

“After so much preparation, the launch of the experiment to the ISS feels akin to saying farewell to a family member,” he said. “There’s sadness because this part is done now, but also so much excitement and thankfulness for how it has worked out so far.”