tarkool OP t1_j7rsl3g wrote
This experiment marks the first time that UCLA scientists will send rodents to the International Space Station. According to the article, "After living in microgravity and receiving NELL-1 injections for about four weeks, half of the rodents will return from space and land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja, California."
Dr. Eric Ting Kang first discovered the NELL-1 protein in 1996 and, "NELL-1 has a powerful effect on tissue-specific stem cells that create bone-building cells called osteoblasts. When exposed to NELL-1, the stem cells create osteoblasts that are much more effective at building bone. Furthermore, NELL-1 reduces the function of osteoclasts, which are the cells that break down bone."
tarkool OP t1_j8nxc6i wrote
Also, for those people who are more scientific minded and want to read more about NELL-1, an osteoinductive protein, here are some links to the scientific articles that go more in depth into the research done by Dr. Eric Kang Ting and Dr. Chia Soo and their team:
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