From Lab to Life: Cancer Breakthroughs in Space

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The latest Science Friday podcast reports that “an upcoming resupply mission will carry [cancer] tumor samples to the International Space Station for research.  Experiments in microgravity have yielded shocking results: Some tumors triple in size in just 10 days—the kind of growth that could take 10 years on Earth.”

The experts interviewed are hematologist Catriona Jamieson and aerospace engineer Meenal Datta.

When weightless zero-gravity conditions speed tumor growth by orders of magnitude, breakthrough results can occur similarly far far faster.  This makes outer space a great place for cancer research.

It reminds me of a similar speed-it-up lab method.  The lowly but heroic fruit fly.

“Drosophila melanogaster are incredibly useful for genetics research because they are simple, cheap to house, and reproduce rapidly. Scientists can map multiple generations in a matter of weeks, observe easily recognizable traits, and study genes that share striking, evolutionary similarities with human disease genes.”

“At room temperature, a new generation is produced in just 10 to 14 days. Females can lay hundreds of eggs, allowing researchers to study how traits are passed on across many generations in a short time.”  Fruit flies  have only four pairs of chromosomes, making it much easier to track genetic mutations compared to the 23 pairs found in humans.     Despite their size, about 75% of genes that cause human diseases (such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s) have recognizable equivalents in fruit flies.”

And here is an example of a tangible benefit space has brought us, for fighting cancer.

“In collaboration with scientists at Merck, protein crystal growth research on the space station yielded early insights regarding the structure and size of particles best suited for the development of a new formulation of the company’s cancer medicine pembrolizumab for subcutaneous injection.”   Originally, the drug was administered by infusion into the vein, that took hours. “The newly approved subcutaneous injectable form takes about one minute every three weeks, promising to improve quality of life for patients by reducing cost and significantly reducing treatment time for patients and healthcare providers.”

Big question: why do tumors grow 1,000 times faster in space?  Answer: “Without gravity, cancer cells aggregate into 3D structures and alter their gene expression, often becoming resistant to cell death and triggering genes that allow for rapid replication.”