MICE DRAWER SYSTEM (MDS)
Research Area: Animal Biology – Vertebrates
Expedition(s): 19- 22
Principal Investigator(s): ● Ranieri Cancedda, MD, University of Genoa (Unige) and IST
National Cancer Research Institute, Genoa, Italy
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Mice Drawer System (MDS) is an Italian Space Agency experiment that uses a validated mouse
model to investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying bone mass loss and other microgravity
effect on different tissues such as muscles, glands, and brain. Research conducted with the
MDS is an analog to the human research
program, which has the objective to extend
the human presence safely beyond low-Earth
orbit.
EARTH BENEFITS
Microgravity is considered by the scientific
community as an accelerated model for
studying terrestrial osteoporosis. Results
obtained in this space experiment facilitate the
understanding of genetic elements that
protect people from osteoporosis. The
targeted users are crew members after a long-
term space mission, elderly people (especially
post-menopausal women), and patients after
long-time immobilization.
SPACE BENEFITS
Crew members suffer from a significant loss of bone mass during spaceflight; the International
Space Station (ISS) Medical Project office has developed some countermeasures to hinder the
rapid loss of bone mass. Despite these countermeasures, bone mass loss continues to be a
problem for crew members. Finding additional countermeasures increases the overall health
of crew members on long-duration missions.
RESULTS
Mice Drawer System (MDS) reached the ISS on board Shuttle Discovery Flight 17A/STS- 128
on August 28, 2009. MDS returned to Earth on November 27, 2009, on Shuttle Atlantis Flight
ILF3/STS-129 after a 91-day stay, performing the longest duration of mice in space. MDS flew 3
wild-type (Wt) and 3 pleiotrophic transgenic (PTN) mice to determine the microgravity effects
levied on each mouse. Unfortunately, during the investigation, 1 PTN mouse and 2 Wt mice
died due to either health related or payload-related reasons. MDS participated in a Tissue
Sharing Program with 20 different research groups in order to determine if microgravity
induced any tissue modifications, with a primary focus on bone loss (Cancedda 2012).
S128E007107 – Astronauts Nicole Stott, Expedition
20 flight engineer; and Patrick Forrester, STS-128
mission specialist, work in the Kibo laboratory of the
International Space Station while Space Shuttle
Discovery remains docked to the station.