Fact Checking CASIS Claims About Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Research On ISS

Hey Joe Vockley @ISS_CASIS : the official @NIH project summary makes no mention of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's here: https://t.co/vfepCxXpbJ . or here: https://t.co/fmhJaWbhFM https://t.co/fyEQuMbGIm

— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) March 1, 2019

This tweet just appeared on @ISS_CASIS - ISS National Laboratory Twitter account

@ISS_CASIS Check out this image taken onboard the @Space_Station. Results could protect astronauts on long-duration missions and further understanding of diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Learn about @Emulate's groundbreaking research: https://bit.ly/2BSEGWP

I just replied:

@NASAWatch Hey Joe Vockley @ISS_CASIS : the official @NIH project summary makes no mention of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's here: https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9402972&icde=36136066&ddparam=&ddvalue=&ddsub=&cr=1&csb=default&cs=ASC&pball= . or here: https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2018/12/04/blast-off-sending-human-tissue-chips-into-space/

Does this brain/organ chip research have specifically stated goals of contributing to Alzheimer's and/or Parkinson's research? If so then why does NIH make no mention of those stated goals? Or is someone at NASA/CASIS inferring some relevance? The only place I see this Alzheimer's/Parkinson's relevance is in NASA and CASIS PR material and in CASIS tweets.

If you go to this 4 December 2018 NIH release "Blast Off! Sending Human Tissue Chips into Space" at there is no mention of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's is made with regard to this research activity. Even the CASIS page on this project, this press release "The ISS National Lab and NCATS Announce International Space Station Funding Opportunity Focused on Human Physiology Research" and this press release "The ISS National Lab and NCATS Announce Five Projects Selected from International Space Station Funding Opportunity Focused on Human Physiology Research" make no mention of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

NASA and CASIS have made these Alzheimer's claims before - with no follow up i.e. "Subtracting Gravity from Alzheimer's" and "Research May Unlock Secret of Alzheimer's".

If there is no stated or intended relevance to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's then this is just irresponsible and inaccurate for NASA and/or CASIS to claim that it is and such claims need to be removed with statements that they were incorrectly asserted in the first place.

Research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's is a big deal. The population afflicted with these diseases is expanding rapidly. If ISS is truly involved in research in these areas then it needs to be promoted to the fullest extent possible. But if it is not, then claiming that it is constitutes professional irresponsibility and outright deception.

I have lost 3 parents to Alzheimer's - two in the last year. As such, as a biologist and a former NASA life science peer review panel manager, I am rather familiar with far too many claims of relevance made with regard Alzheimer's that are simply not real. I am going to be contacting the relevant Alzheimer's and Parkinson's advocacy groups about this claim by NASA and CASIS - unless you can provide proof of actual, stated goals of this NASA/NIH research that are explicitly related to Alzheimer's and/or Parkinson's.

CASIS has removed me from their media contact list and has refused to respond to previous inquiries. As such I do not expect a reply from them.

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