by ecancer reporter Janet Fricker

On April 12, the fifty-second anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first manned spaceflight, Nature Reviews Cancer published a paper reviewing what we have learnt so far from cancer research in space.

In the review Jeanne Becker and Glauco Souza, from Nano3D Biosciences, Houston, Texas, explored how space research has advanced our knowledge of tumour biology, and informed the development of new anticancer technologies and therapeutic strategies.

Humans first began spending extended periods of time aboard orbiting spacecraft in the 1970s, opening the way for biological experiments to be conducted in space.

In the Skylab programme (1973-1974), Space Shuttle programme (1981-2011) and Mir programme (1986-200), among others, it became evident that biological properties change as gravitational force is diminished, underscoring the importance of learning more about the relationship between physical force and biological function.

Cells exposed to microgravity, it was found, were exposed to loss of gravity dependent convection, negligible hydrodynamic shear and lack of sedimentation.

The ability to achieve unrestricted 3D growth invitro, that occurred in microgravity, provided information about tumour formation, the tumour microenvironment and tumour progression.

Reduced gravitational force was found to have far-ranging effects on cell growth and function, including effects on gene expression, the production of soluble factors, cell signalling and cytoskeletal organization.

Additionally, studies conducted in space have been complemented by the use of relevant cell culture paradigms providing culture conditions similar to those observed in the microgravity environment.

These included the development by NASA of the rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor, a horizontal rotating vessel with no internal mechanical agitator, and magnetic levitation, where the gravitational force is counterbalanced by magnetic force.

Aside from cell-based investigations, other space-based research has opened the way for new cancer therapies.

Microencapsulation research first carried out on the Space Shuttle from 1996 to 1998 evaluated the uptake and encapsulation of fluid containing particles, imaging materials and anticancer drugs in the ultra-low shear environment of microgravity. “This technology facilitates the encapsulation of particles of dissimilar densities and fluids of different viscosities into complex multilamellar structures,” write the authors. Examples of such encapsulation, they add, have been used for 5-fluorouracil in prostate cancer.

Another space related break through involved the development of near-infra-red light therapy used to treat cancer-associated pain. Early work on the development of life support systems to facilitate long-term space exploration found that plant growth could be achieved in microgravity for plants exposed to 12 hour periods of light delivery using red and blue light emitting diodes.

In a trial of patients receiving myeloablative treatment followed by haematopoietic stem cell transplant for malignancies (including leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma) near-infrared light at 670nm was shown to significantly reduce patient-reported pain. T he mechanism of pain relief induced by light therapy, the investigators wrote, may occur through down regulation of the inflammatory process, including reduced production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1, and diminished production of prostaglandins via inhibition of COX2.

“Combination of the resources available in the unique environment of microgravity with the tools and advanced technologies that exist in laboratories across Earth may inform new research approaches to expand the knowledge necessary for improving treatment options, and enhancing the quality of life for those affected by this illness,” conclude the authors.

Reference:

J. L. Becker, G R Souza. Using space-based investigations to inform cancer research on Earth. Nature Reviews Cancer. Published online 12 April 2013, doi:10.1038/nrc3507