UC San Diego researchers test new cancer drug in space
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UC San Diego researchers prepare the cancerous tumor samples being sent to space. Photo: Kyle Dykes/UC San Diego Health Sciences
UC San Diego scientists are testing a new potential cancer treatment in space.
Why it matters: The NASA-funded mission will analyze whether the drug rebecsinib works on ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, leukemia and glioblastoma multiforme (an aggressive brain tumor).
Driving the news: Last week, a SpaceX rocket launched a collection of cancerous tumor samples donated by patients for testing aboard the International Space Station.
- Axiom Space astronauts are conducting the research on board, marking UCSD's 16th successful mission to study stem cells in space.
What they're saying: "We can accelerate the development of drugs that target cancer" by working in microgravity, Catriona Jamieson, director of UCSD's Sanford Stem Cell Institute, told Axios.
Zoom in: The drug, discovered by UCSD researchers and developed by Aspera Biomedicines, showed in previous space missions that it could stop the growth of some cancerous cells.
- Dubbed a "cancer kill switch," rebecsinib works by targeting a specific gene that fuels cancer's development and resistance to drugs.
- The hope is that it could help fight 20 different types of cancer involving that gene by blocking the disease from recurring and metastasizing.
- Clinical trials are set to begin this fall for patients with blood cancer.
Between the lines: Doing this lab work in space provides a time advantage because microgravity activates and accelerates the stressful environment that triggers cancer's growth.
- Tumors triple in size in 10 days on the space station compared to 10 years on Earth, according to Jamieson.
Follow the money: These experiments are funded through state and federal grants, including from NASA.
- The drug is named after philanthropist Rebecca "Becky" Moores, whose donations have been critical for UCSD cancer research.
The bottom line: The findings from the two-week mission could help guide future clinical trials.
What we're watching: Future planned launches will look into how scientists can make the drug cheaper and more accessible, like in a pill form instead of through an IV.