Axiom-4 astronauts to study insulin in space, advancing diabetes care

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew will conduct a pioneering study on glucose and insulin in microgravity. This could unlock advanced wearable tech and AI models to revolutionize diabetes care for astronauts and patients with limited mobility on Eart

New Delhi: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is set to offer a ray of hope for diabetics to travel to space, as a UAE-based healthcare provider is conducting an experiment on how glucose behaves in microgravity conditions.

As part of the “Suite Ride” experiment planned by Burjeel Holdings and Axiom Space, some astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission will be wearing continuous glucose monitors during their 14-day stay on board the orbital lab. The studies of the behaviour of glucose and insulin in microgravity conditions will help scientists develop wearable technologies for astronauts and patients who are bedridden or have limited mobility due to illnesses such as paralysis.

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“We are trying just to see if there is any change or fluctuation to the blood-sugar levels while they are in space,” Mohammad Fityan, chief medical officer at Burjeel Holdings, Abu Dhabi, told PTI. The astronauts will also carry insulin pens in refrigerated and ambient temperatures to examine how the molecules respond to microgravity conditions.

“We are hoping that if we learn something about the metabolism or the effect, we will bring some information and we can do something for our patients on Earth,” Fityan said. Currently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) does not allow insulin-dependent diabetics to travel to space. There are no official exclusions for non-insulin-dependent diabetics, but so far, no astronaut with diabetes has travelled to space.

“It has the potential to transform the future of space travel for astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), a condition historically considered disqualifying for space missions,” Fityan said.

He said the study will pave the way for several innovative technologies and treatment approaches for developing advanced glucose-monitoring tools optimised for extreme or low-activity environments, improving wearable tech for both astronauts and patients with limited mobility on Earth.

It will also help identify new pharmacologic targets by observing how metabolic and hormonal responses change in microgravity, leading to drugs that enhance insulin sensitivity or mimic the benefits of exercise in sedentary individuals. The AI-powered predictive models based on real-time physiologic data in space can be adapted to personalise diabetes care on Earth by forecasting insulin needs or metabolic shifts with higher accuracy.

The research will also help develop remote monitoring platforms for continuous metabolic-data capture that could revolutionise diabetes care in underserved or remote areas on Earth, as well as in tele-health settings.