Indian Astronaut's Mission Could Revolutionise Space Travel For Diabetics

Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, who will fly to the International Space Station on May 29, will be conducting a key experiment on diabetes during his flight.

The Axiom-4 space mission of four crew members will conduct research which may pave the way for diabetics to be included in the global astronaut corps. The study will be undertaken in micro-gravity conditions of the International Space Station during the fortnight-long mission.

The experiment is called the "Suite Ride" initiative, and the effort marks a significant milestone in the long-term goal of supporting future astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), a condition historically deemed disqualifying for spaceflight.

Photo Credit: Burjeel Holdings, Abu Dhabi

The experiment is part of Axiom Space's multi-tiered approach, which aims to eventually demonstrate that astronauts with IDDM can be safely monitored, treated, and participate in off-planet missions.

One person who will be keenly watching this experiment is India's Science Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, a well-known diabetologist.  

The principal investigator for the study, Dr. Mohammad Fityan, Chief Medical Officer at Burjeel Holdings, Abu Dhabi, confirmed that no astronaut will be injected with insulin, but the crew will wear glucose monitoring equipment on the space flight to see how blood glucose levels fluctuate in the 'stressful environment of space'.

They will be validating blood glucose monitoring, data transmission, as well as insulin viability aboard the International Space Station, he added.

Dr Mohammad Fityan, Clinical Lead of the Burjeel-AX-4 Diabetes Research Program, at the Burjeel Medical City Laboratory in Abu Dhabi.
Photo Credit: Burjeel Holdings, Abu Dhabi

According to a 2024 World Health Organisation estimate, 14% of adults aged 18 years and older were living with diabetes, an increase from 7% in 1990, and about 830 million people worldwide have diabetes.

India is considered the diabetes capital of the world. WHO figures suggest there are an estimated 77 million people above the age of suffering from diabetes (type 2) in India, and nearly 25 million are pre-diabetics, i.e, those at a higher risk of developing diabetes in the future.

Burjeel Holdings PLC, a leading super-speciality healthcare provider in the Middle East and the North African region with headquarters in Abu Dhabi, which is spearheading the project, said, They will do groundbreaking mission-focused work on diabetes management in microgravity, along with Axiom Space.

A pivotal moment in this research was the successful technical demonstration conducted on the Galactic 07 mission of 2024, which confirmed that commercially available insulin pens can deliver medication effectively in microgravity, adhering to International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) guidelines. The promising results have laid the foundation for the upcoming mission that will take place in space.

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission will utilise Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), which have become the standard for glucose monitoring in individuals with diabetes. These devices will be tested to ensure their accuracy in microgravity, providing real-time data that will ultimately support the health of astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes.

The comprehensive preflight, inflight, and post-flight protocols will employ various testing methods to validate these technologies. The Ax-4 mission also plans to look at insulin exposure in microgravity to assess the potency and stability of the drug product upon its return to Earth.

Testing the behaviour of CGMs and insulin delivery technologies in microgravity and with circadian rhythm disruption is expected to advance the understanding of how such innovations can improve diabetes monitoring and care in remote or underserved areas on Earth. Experts say this research will lay the groundwork for managing diabetes in isolated locations, such as oil rigs, deserts, or rural regions.

Dr Fityan said, "Space is a proving ground, as this research aims to provide invaluable data that will directly benefit underserved communities and difficult-to-reach areas across the globe."

Dr Lucie Low, Chief Scientist, Axiom Space, said, "This may pave the way for the eventual flight of an astronaut with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus IDDM. The successful demonstration of glucose monitoring on subjects without diabetes will next open the door to flying astronauts with non-insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes, looking to prove that people with diabetes can one day thrive in the unique environment of space."

Dr. Low added that "I am personally very excited about our 'Suite Ride' experiment because for Axiom, it means that we are enabling new opportunities for a more diverse crew to fly a future, as well as translating those results back into, hopefully, impacts for diabetic patients here on Earth."