The International Space Station is not just a technological wonder , it ’s also a fully fledge laboratory . Among its many research projects , NASA peculiarly require spotlight their oeuvre on fighting cancer .
The blank space station ’s microgravity environment allows astronauts to grow genus Cancer in 3D , unlike terra firma - bind research laboratory . This alone feature of speech is being used to quiz the efficacy of an antibody drug on Crab . The drug should help the resistant system fight tumor .
“ In space , you may grow big and larger cancer neoplasm spherical in shape , so you have a better model of what ’s happening in the human trunk , ” Dr Luis Zea , research comrade for Bioserve Space Technologies , said in astatement . “ The chances of birth sour negatives or false positives is fall . ”
The probe , bed asThe Efficacy and Metabolism of Azonafide Antibody - Drug Conjugates ( ADCs ) in Microgravity , will also facilitate determine whether electric cell comport in the same manner in place and whether the drugs have the same effect . This could be in particular important for deep - infinite deputation .
“ We do n’t know if the cells will be metabolize the drug at the same rate as they do on Earth , ” said co - investigator Dhaval Shah . “ In the long full term , we need to be sure what drug are break down to mould . ”
The ADC investigating compound an antibody with a chemotherapy drug known as Azonafide . The research worker go for that the antibody will deliver the Crab - wipe out drug straight to malignant neoplastic disease cadre without mistakenly attacking healthy cells .
“ One of the reason cancer cell grow in certain individuals is their defense mechanism fails to recognize them , ” said Shah . “ This molecule also has the ability to wake up or release the break on existing immune cells within the Crab . In any give tumour , when these molecules are released [ from the cancer cellphone ] , they ‘ wake up ’ the surrounding immune cadre and stimulate the body ’s own immune system , make it recognize and kill the cancer cubicle itself . ”
Chemotherapy is also not without its side issue . Nausea , fatigue duty , tomentum loss , and cognitive harm often accompany the therapy . researcher desire their combining could confine the amount of side effects , without reducing its cancer - fighting say-so .
“ The antibody is like a connector block , ” say Zea . “ On one side , it will only hold to the drug and on the other side may only bind to Crab cells and not healthy cadre . So by combine these two , the idea is to fall the filthy side issue of chemotherapy . ”
The inquiry will be concluded in September , so continue tune for updates .
