Cancer Research That Is Out of This World
Photo : NASA/Joel Kowsky
As I was pondering what to write about this week, I came across the news that NASA plans to launch the Artemis I unmanned mission to the Moon this coming Monday morning.
As a person who grew up during the space race, I remember watching the Apollo missions on a blurry black-and-white tv screen in my childhood. In addition, I once had the opportunity to watch a space shuttle launch from the VIP seats. Although there are a few dozen rocket launches from Cape Canaveral each year, the general public tends to only pay attention to the big ones, like Artemis.
I started wondering if there are connections between the space program and cancer research, and found out after a few quick internet searches, there are! We tend to think about space missions to the Moon or Mars or beyond, but the research is happening a little closer to home on the International Space Station (ISS).
Why there?
In a research lab on earth, when scientists try to grow cells in lab, they tend to be flat, not having the structure that they would if they were growing inside the body. Scientists figured out that growing cells in microgravity could cause them to grow three-dimensionally, more closely resembling what would happen inside a person’s body. This helps scientists study cell behavior in a laboratory setting and then develop treatments.
And where can you find a laboratory with built-in microgravity? On the International Space Station!
Some people travel quite a distance from their homes to get the best cancer treatment possible. If you drove from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC that wouldn’t be unreasonable. That’s about the same distance that the ISS is from the earth’s surface - approximately two hundred fifty miles. I’m just glad we don’t have to travel to the ISS for treatment!
Enjoy the launch!