Sept.

12, 2007

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov

Bonnie Flock
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
301-451-4343
flockb@od.nih.gov

RELEASE: 07-190

NASA AND NIH PARTNER FOR HEALTH RESEARCH IN SPACE

WASHINGTON - A Sept. 12 signing of a memorandum of understanding

marked a key milestone for NASA and the National Institutes of Health
in their long partnership to advance scientific discovery. The two
agencies entered into an agreement that helps American scientists use
the International Space Station to answer questions about human
health and diseases. The pact signals to researchers the availability
of a remarkable platform on which to conduct experiments.

"The congressional designation as a national laboratory underscores

the significance the American people place on the scientific
potential of the space station," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin
explained. "Not only will the station help in our efforts to explore
the moon, Mars and beyond, its resources also can be applied for a
much broader purpose - improving human health."

NASA sent Congress a plan in May describing how the U.S. segment of
the International Space Station can be used as a national laboratory.
The report outlines possible partnerships with other government
agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the
station. The signing marks the first such agreement between NASA and
another agency.

"I am extremely pleased that this collaborative effort is moving

forward," NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni said. "The station provides
a unique environment where researchers can explore fundamental
questions about human health issues - including how the human body
heals itself, fights infection or develops diseases such as cancer or
osteoporosis."
Compared with the Earth-bound laboratories where more than 325,000
NIH-funded researchers conduct experiments every day, the facility at
the station provides a virtually gravity-free environment where the
cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie human diseases can be
explored. For example:

- Since the beginning of the space program, researchers have known

that prolonged periods of weightlessness cause bones and muscles to
deteriorate. The station provides a stable platform where scientists
can study the molecular basis of these effects for the eventual
benefit of people who suffer from weak, fragile bones or
muscle-wasting diseases.

- When people escape the gravitational pull of Earth, their brains

also need to adjust to the sensation of weightlessness. Understanding
how in space parts of the brain compensate for the absence of sensory
input that gravity provides on Earth holds promise for people who
suffer from balance disorders.

- Other biologic systems in humans and in other organisms also are

affected by microgravity. A biologic explanation for observed changes
in microbe infectivity and human immunity during prolonged space
travel could offer new hope to people who have difficulty fighting
infections on Earth.

As part of the agreement, NIH and NASA will encourage space-related

health research by exchanging information and providing technical
expertise in areas of common interest. The agencies will facilitate
and share each other's research and development efforts. In addition,
NIH and NASA have agreed to coordinate publicity of mutually
beneficial activities, publications and research results.

For more information about NIH and its programs, visit:

http://www.nih.gov

For more information about the station and the agreement, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-