China to send regenerative flatworms to space station for scientific study

(Photo/CCTV)

The Chinese space station will soon welcome a new life form - planaria -known for their regenerative abilities, for scientific experiments, following earlier studies involving zebrafish and fruit flies, China's CCTV reported on Saturday.

Planaria, an ancient genus of flatworms renowned for its ability to regenerate, could provide insights into how human cells might combat aging and prolong lifespan, according to the report.

With an evolutionary history of over 520 million years, these flatworms can regrow entire heads or tails when cut, making them ideal subjects for tissue regeneration research and a popular choice in biological studies.

The space station has previously hosted zebrafish and fruit flies as model organisms for in-orbit biological experiments.

In April 2024, Shenzhou 18 carried four zebrafish and four grams of goldfish algae to the Chinese space station to conduct in-orbit experiments. With about 70 percent genetic similarity to humans, zebrafish can help scientists study how microgravity affects proteins in vertebrate muscles and bones.

In November 2024, fruit flies were sent aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft. Studying their growth, movement, and biological rhythms in microgravity and sub-magnetic environments helps researchers understand how space conditions impact living organisms.