New ISS research project will benefit cancer patients on Earth

Since 2013, research has been underway on the International Space Station (ISS) National Lab with astronauts conducting experiments in microgravity to ultimately help improve our lives here on Earth.

Diseases like cancer remain one of the top causes of death across the United States and, in a recent release, the National Cancer Institute estimated that this year alone will see more than 2 million cancer cases diagnosed with a death toll of more than 600,000 people. With numbers like that, even medical research in space has been focused on cancer-related treatment.

At the end of July, the ISS National Lab shared in the same release that more than $7 million in total funding through the Cancer Moonshot initiative was awarded to five research teams selected through the ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) division. The projects included are Eascra Biotech, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of California, San Diego, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Each will use the rotating microgravity lab to further cancer research.

"Over the years, the space station has been a catalyst for biomedical research that has profound impacts on patient care on Earth," Ray Lugo, chief executive officer for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space and manager of the ISS National Lab, said in the release. "Through this inaugural Igniting Innovation research announcement, the ISS National Lab and NASA focused funding efforts to specifically target cancer through space-based research, and we look forward to working with the selected projects as they push the boundaries of research and innovation to develop more effective therapeutics for those impacted by this devastating disease."

Related: ISS scientists make headway in cancer research: 'We're NASA, we do Moonshots'

Space.com had an exclusive opportunity to speak with the team at Deep Space Biology, a California-based company selected to be part of the MD Anderson Cancer Center project that will specifically focus on researching how T cells are changed in microgravity. The multi-year research will be a collaboration with Axiom Space, BioServe Space Technologies and Mongoose Bio, focusing on discovering new biological advances and enhancing cancer treatments across the globe.

"At Axiom Space, we are proud to support the pioneering work led by Deep Space Biology. This groundbreaking artificial intelligence technology marks a significant leap forward for the space biotech industry,” Matt Ondler, president of Axiom Space, told Space.com in an email. "By leveraging the unique environment of space, we are uncovering new insights and developing innovative treatments that have the potential to revolutionize healthcare on Earth. The future of space biotech is incredibly promising, and we are excited to be part of this transformative journey."

Deep Space Biology has developed the first-ever approach to space-based biotech using artificial intelligence. The cutting-edge platform, Yotta, uses AI to pinpoint important disease targets and make comparisons between different T-cell experiments in microgravity as well as on Earth. By using AI algorithms, researchers will be able to have large amounts of biological data analyzed at a much faster pace, which will lead to more timely creation and validation of new medical advances.

"Amazing things are possible when great teams work together. Our collaboration with MD Anderson represents a significant step forward in leveraging space-based research to revolutionize cancer and immunology studies," Montana Bilger, co-founder and CEO of Deep Space Biology, told Space.com by email. "By integrating Deep Space Biology's AI technology, we are excited to uncover groundbreaking insights that will propel medical science to new heights. The Yotta platform is designed to revolutionize pharmaceutical research by providing unprecedented insights and accelerating the discovery of therapeutics for complex diseases like cancer."

Space biology research has been underway for more than 20 years and continues to contribute to making life-changing discoveries. This research can be incorporated into the healthcare industry and provide more knowledge on disease treatments and aim to cure the most complex conditions.