Carl Sagan assumed many roles during his brief tenure on this Earth: astronomer, planetary scientist—the two for which he is most renowned—humanist, environmentalist, educator, marijuana advocate, and science-fiction fan, among others.

He also was a poet, of sorts.

Many of Sagan’s ideological doctrines and written work are somewhat poetic in nature. Case in point: the 1980-81 “Cosmos” documentary, in which he states, “We have lingered long enough on the shores of cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars.”

There’s also his New York Times best-selling book “Pale Blue Dot,” where Sagan paints a realistic portrait of Earth’s significance in the universe: “Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.”

And lest not forget his most famous quote: “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”

Indeed, homo sapiens are the descendent of stars, as the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms in the human body were created in previous generations of celestial bodies billions of years ago.

It seems only logical then, that humanity would look to the stars for answers to (and help with) its earthly struggles.

Help with humankind’s healthcare struggles, in particular, have come by way of the International Space Station (ISS) National Lab, which conducts scientific research in Earth orbit.

Designated a U.S. National Laboratory in 2005 by U.S. Congress, the ISS National Laboratory is responsible for managing all non-NASA research.

The Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), a nonprofit, non-government organization, has managed the ISS National Lab for the past 13 years. During that time, it has selected hundreds of research projects for the lab, including new drug development, cancer formation analyses, disease model studies, advanced materials testing, and human tissues manufacturing.

Some of the more recent ISS National Lab research projects aimed to improve the terrestrial treatment of eye/vision-related conditions, neurogenerative diseases, and inflammatory disorders.

Oculogenex, for example, tested a novel gene therapy to prevent and possibly even reverse vision loss from age-related macular degeneration, which affects more than 200 million of the planet’s inhabitants.

The startup’s regenerative gene therapy product is delivered one-time into the eye with an intraocular injection. Designed to help retinal cells become more resistant to stress, repair damage, and increase their lifespan, the therapy can potentially activate dormant stem cells in the retina to replace lost tissue. Its benefit has been demonstrated in preclinical research, and the La Habra, Calif.-based company is completing its preclinical research program to prepare for Phase 1 clinical trials.

“The microgravity investigation could pave the way for future clinical trials and treatments, offering hope to those grappling with this debilitating condition,” Oculogenex CEO Hema Ramkumar, M.D., a physician treating macular degeneration patients, said when the company’s therapy set off to space earlier this year.

The gene therapy enhances cellular response to oxidative stress and prevents retinal cell death, an approach that aims to restore the functionality of damaged cells and prevent vision loss.

“As we age, an epigenetic switch stops cellular repair, leading to cell degradation,” Ramkumar explained. “Our gene therapy renews dormant retinal stem cells, enhances mitochondrial function, and prevents cell senescence and death. By targeting this epigenetic switch, our therapy instructs cells to remain active and resilient, promoting repair and sustaining vision.”

National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF)-funded research also reserved a seat aboard the ISS National Lab earlier this year. NSCF is examining tissue changes within stem cell-derived brain organoids to pinpoint where inflammation begins in the brain. Studies have shown a link between inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Specialized immune cells within the body’s central nervous system, called microglia, are thought to play a key role in regulating inflammation.

NSCF sent human brain organoids derived from patients with Parkinson’s and PPMS to the orbiting laboratory. “We send research to space because we can see the cells interacting in ways that are not possible on Earth,” NSCF CEO Paula Grisanti noted. “By adding microglia, we can begin to see where inflammation begins in those processes.”

Findings from the investigation helped inform the foundation’s next mission that launched in March. Both space flights involved organoids created from induced pluripotent stem cells from affected patients. Approximately 80 organoids were studied over the two-week mission before being returned to Earth and to NSCF for further analysis.

“By developing human organoids of neurodegenerative diseases, with microglia in the accelerated environment of microgravity,” Grisanti said, “we have added an important new tool and a new way of looking at and understanding how and why neurodegeneration occurs.”