Inaugural Igniting Innovation research
announcement is providing more than $7
million in funding to advance cancer research through
space-based R&D
BOSTON, July 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Space
Station (ISS) National Laboratory, in partnership with NASA's
Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) division, jointly announced
the selection of five projects through the inaugural Igniting
Innovation solicitation for cancer and other disease-related
research and technology development on the ISS. The projects, which
were announced at the annual ISS Research and Development
Conference (ISSRDC) in Boston,
will harness the unique microgravity environment to advance cancer
research to benefit patients on Earth.
![International Space Station National Laboratory (PRNewsfoto/International Space Station National Lab) International Space Station National Laboratory (PRNewsfoto/International Space Station National Lab)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2261434/ISSNL_Logo.jpg)
The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 2 million
cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024, and more than 600,000
people will die from the disease. Cancer and other disease-related
research on the space station is critical not only to the ISS
National Lab and NASA but also to the Biden-Harris administration
and its Cancer Moonshot initiative. Through the
inaugural Igniting Innovating solicitation, more than $7 million in total funding is being awarded to
the selected research teams. Each team intends to fly multiple
projects to the orbiting laboratory through this research
announcement.
"Over the years, the space station has been a catalyst for
biomedical research that has profound impacts on patient care on
Earth," said Ray Lugo, chief
executive officer for the Center for the Advancement of Science in
Space™, manager of the ISS National Lab. "Through this inaugural
Igniting Innovation research announcement, the ISS National Lab and
NASA focused funding efforts to specifically target cancer through
space-based research, and we look forward to working with the
selected projects as they push the boundaries of research and
innovation to develop more effective therapeutics for those
impacted by this devastating disease."
The selected projects are listed below:
- Mari Anne Snow, Eascra
Biotech: This project seeks to produce cancer therapeutics
in space using Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs) designed to target
drug delivery to solid tumors, improving cancer treatment and
reducing side effects. JBNs are formed by DNA-inspired building
blocks that self-assemble. Producing JBNs in microgravity could
make them more uniform, increasing both safety and efficacy. This
would allow JBNs to carry larger amounts of drugs for more
effective treatment. This project builds on prior space station
research that Eascra and the University of
Connecticut conducted with support from Axiom Space to
examine the use of JBNs to treat arthritis.
- Arun Sharma, Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center: This project aims to grow cardiac
spheroids with blood vessels from induced pluripotent stem cells in
space for cardiovascular disease modeling and to test how cancer
drugs affect the heart. In space, cells grow into 3D structures
that are more like cell growth in the body. Blood vessels may also
grow better within the spheroids in microgravity. Space-grown
cardiac spheroids could provide a better disease model to study
cardiovascular disease and test cancer drug toxicity. Additionally,
on Northrop Grumman's 21st Commercial Resupply Services mission
(NG-21) to the ISS, slated for early August, the Cedars-Sinai
team intends to launch a regenerative medicine investigation
supporting the in-space manufacturing of stem cells, building on
prior space studies.
- Catriona Jamieson,
University of California, San
Diego: This project seeks to use patient-derived
tumor organoids to study accelerated cancer development in
microgravity and identify new cancer therapeutic targets. After
cancer treatment, cancer stem cells can remain in the body. These
cancer cells self-renew, evade the immune system, and develop
resistance, resulting in their ability to spread throughout the
body. The research team will observe the rate of cancer stem cell
growth in space, where cancer cells can grow more quickly, to test
whether blocking a specific enzyme prevents cancer stem cell
growth. Results could lead to new treatments that target evasive
cancer stem cells to prevent cancer recurrence. The UCSD team has
launched multiple investigations to the ISS through private
astronaut missions and NASA-sponsored missions.
- Cassian Yee, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center:
This project aims to use microgravity to better understand how T
cells work in order to develop new immunotherapy treatments for
patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. T cells are a type of
white blood cell that play a key role in the immune system.
Previous research has shown that microgravity induces changes in
the structure and function of these cells. The team will study T
cells in space to better understand what controls them, and results
could lead to improved immunotherapy drugs that use the immune
system to fight cancer.
- Shay Soker, Wake Forest
Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM): This project
seeks to use organoids created from cells recovered from colorectal
cancer patients to see if chemotherapy works better in space,
offering insight into improved chemotherapies. Microgravity causes
changes in cancer cells that may make them more sensitive to
chemotherapy. The team will study how spaceflight changes gene
expression in the organoids to identify targets for new, more
effective chemotherapy drugs. Results from this project could also
lead to personalized cancer treatment. WFIRM is actively involved
in research on the space station and will launch an investigation
on NG-21 analyzing the behavior of engineered liver constructs,
which could lead to in-space production of tissues for organ
transplants on Earth.
All five research teams intend to work with ISS National Lab
Commercial Service Provider Axiom Space, together with BioServe
Space Technologies, who will provide engineering and logistical
support to prepare the projects for spaceflight and successful
operations on station.
"We are thrilled to support this critical in-space cancer
research," said Lisa Carnell,
director of NASA's Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) division.
"The unique microgravity environment of space offers incredible
opportunities for researchers to study the effects of spaceflight
stressors on human tissue. This research could be used not only to
help protect crew health on long-duration missions but also to
contribute to initiatives like the Cancer Moonshot and improved
treatment options for patients here on Earth."
The final award of funding is contingent upon acceptance of
legal terms and conditions between the recipients, the Center for
the Advancement of Science in Space™, which manages the ISS
National Lab, and NASA's BPS division.
The ISS National Lab and NASA plan to announce the 2024 Igniting
Innovation solicitation in August. This research announcement is
focused on leveraging the space environment to address challenges
that hinder progress in preventing, diagnosing, and treating the
most challenging diseases of our time, such as cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disease.
To download a high-resolution image for this release,
click here.
About the International Space Station (ISS) National
Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a
one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology
development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise,
the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to
leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on
Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy
in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable
market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national
laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support
non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S.
government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector.
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™)
manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with
NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research
environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the
extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS
National Lab, visit our website.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate
and individual donations to help advance science in space for the
benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations
page.
Media
Contact:
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Patrick
O'Neill
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904-806-0035
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PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
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International Space Station (ISS) National
Laboratory
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Managed by the Center
for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS)
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