WASHINGTON – Research on the International Space Station (ISS) is helping doctors on Earth find new treatment options for patients.
“There’s a lot of excitement about this and many other types of research,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “It’s too bad it took so long. You know, I did this protein crystal growth experiment in January of 1986, but we didn’t have a permanent laboratory in space, and only now are we starting to see the benefits and this drug research.”
Over the years, the pharmaceutical company Merck has launched several protein crystallization research projects on the International Space Station. Observing proteins in zero gravity could benefit cancer treatments on Earth, scientists have said.
NASA ADMINISTRATOR OUTLINES FUTURE PROJECTS, PARTNERSHIPS IN SPACE
“The drug that was developed down here on Earth that has been so phenomenally successful, Keytruda, we’ve taken it into space at zero G,” Nelson said. “They were able to form those crystals into such a large and more uniform pattern.”
Microgravity exposure has made the drug more effective and easier to administer to patients.
“This has given them the ability to concentrate the actual infusion into an infusion into the body instead of a long, drawn-out process of intravenous feeding, through a liquid,” Nelson said. “It can become much faster, much more direct and more effective in administering that drug.”
Current NASA Administrator Bill Nelson conducted an experiment studying the growth of protein crystals. (NASA)
An environment drastically different from our own on Earth has helped scientists learn more about humans.
“The effects of microgravity and radiation on the body, they mimic aging. So we’re understanding a lot about what happens to the body in space, what happens to the body as you age,” said NASA Technology Transfer Program Executive Daniel Lockney. .
As we age, we may encounter new diseases. Space is also helping scientists find new treatments through stem cell research.
A NASA astronaut experiments on protein crystals. (Mayo Clinic)
“Growing stem cells has been very challenging in the laboratory,” said Mayo Clinic Medicine and Pathology Laboratory Specialist Dr. Abba Zubair. “We haven’t been able to expand the cells enough to say that one donor can give to some other patients. So we start to think outside the box and think, ‘Maybe we should leave the world because gravity is everywhere.” “
Last January, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX helped send Zubair’s research to the International Space Station.
“There is some evidence [from] Before this shows that the lack of gravity can stimulate cells to grow differently, but the other reason is just my childhood dream. I always wanted to be an astronaut. I always [wanted] to go to space,” said Zubair, “so I have a clinical problem and I have a passion for space. … [I] said, “Well, why don’t we see if the space environment can solve some of our challenges on Earth.”
NEW RESEARCH INVESTIGATES HOW SHORT-TERM SPACE TRAVEL AFFECTS ‘SPACE TOURISTS’
The Mayo Clinic reported that cells grown on ISS showed no DNA damage or chromosomal abnormalities. Zubair and his team said they could be used as potential treatments, but more studies are needed.
“We thought maybe we could grow the cells in space if they grew faster. We could treat more patients with that,” Zubair said.
He added that he hoped to learn more about treating stroke patients.
Zubair sits in his laboratory with trays full of test tubes. (Mayo Clinic)
“The heart attack is something that I personally care about because that’s what killed my mother relatively prematurely,” Zubair said. “I have been looking for ways that, in my discipline and field, I can contribute to the treatment of stroke.”
Different stem cells also behave differently. Mesenchymal stem cells, or grown cells that have been shown to have healing potential, do not grow significantly faster than they do on Earth. However, their ability to control immune cells increased. Hematopoietic stem cells, which can develop into different types of blood cells, grow much faster in space.
“When the stem cells are part of a tissue from the body, say breast tissue that’s full of cancer,” Nelson said, “we can form a 3D tissue… and as a result, they can then in space.use different drugs for this [3D tissue] and determine which is most effective.”
Zubair displays his Outstanding Scientific Achievement Medal awarded to him by NASA as he stands next to a statue of an astronaut. (Mayo Clinic)
Nelson said scientists have hoped to use the same testing method for Parkinson’s, brain cancer and other diseases.
“We can do this continuously at this research workplace called the International Space Station, and we’re making some dramatic advances here,” Nelson said.
The research is still in its early stages. Zubair estimated that it could be several years before treatments from space-grown stem cells are used in patients. He said a growing footprint in orbit could speed up the process.
“There are patients knocking on our door waiting and they really want this to happen. I think with more funding and more access, maybe the timeline would be shorter,” Zubair said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He also hoped that he too could be part of the growing presence in space.
“I’m waiting to do my own experiment. So please take me there [the] moon or ISS,” said Zubair.