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Cancer research

UC San Diego Scientists Test New Cancer Treatment in Space

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a groundbreaking mission, scientists from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) are conducting research on a potential new cancer treatment in space, aboard the International Space Station. The study, funded by NASA, aims to analyze the effects of the drug rebecsinib on various types of cancer, including ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, leukemia, and glioblastoma multiforme. The research has shown promising results in previous space missions, with rebecsinib dubbed a "cancer kill switch" for its ability to target a specific gene that fuels cancer's development and resistance to drugs.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UCSD researchers are studying the effects of rebecsinib on ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, leukemia, and glioblastoma multiforme in a NASA-funded mission.
  • The drug rebecsinib has shown promising results in previous space missions, where it was able to stop the growth of some cancerous cells.
  • Rebecsinib works by targeting a specific gene that fuels cancer's development and resistance to drugs, making it a potential "cancer kill switch."
  • The researchers believe that rebecsinib could help fight 20 different types of cancer, and its effects are three times faster in space than on Earth, where tumors triple in size in 10 years.
  • The mission is funded through state and federal grants, including from NASA, and is also backed by philanthropist Rebecca "Becky" Moores, whose donations have been critical for UCSD cancer research.
  • Clinical trials for the drug are set to begin this fall for patients with blood cancer.
  • The research could help guide future clinical trials and may lead to the development of a cheaper and more accessible form of the drug.

Statistics:

  • The researchers have conducted 16 successful missions to study stem cells in space, marking a third consecutive year of success for UCSD's space-related research.
  • Between 10 and 20 different types of cancer could potentially be treated with rebecsinib.
  • The drug has shown a 3 times faster effect in space than on Earth, with tumors triple in size in 10 years on the space station, compared to 10 years on Earth.

Sources:

  • Axios (https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2024/01/29/cancer-cases-california-statistics-data)
  • NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/in-space-production-applications/)
  • Axiom Space (https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4)
  • UCSD (https://regenmed.ucsd.edu/research/jamieson-lab/index.html)
  • Sanford Stem Cell Institute (https://stemcells.ucsd.edu/)
  • Aspera Biomedicines (https://www.axiomspace.com/release/cancer-research-rebecsinib)
  • California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (https://www.cirm.ca.gov/our-progress/awards/cancer-stem-cell-interception-rebecsinib-first-class-adar1-inhibitor/)
  • Moores Cancer Center (https://moorescancercenter.ucsd.edu/)

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