Space? Cancer? At the first glance, these may seem like two completely unrelated issues. But what if the key to defeating one of humanity’s deadliest diseases does not lie on Earth at all, but drifts silently in the endless void of space? Wonders never cease, indeed.
Before diving into this strange yet awe-inspiring connection, we must first grasp the effects of gravity on our own bodies.
What many people don’t know is that gravity is not just a force that pulls us downward. It also helps maintain our biological balance. It provides the mechanical stress necessary to preserve healthy bone density and muscle mass. It also ensures proper fluid distribution to support our circulatory and lymphatic systems.
Because of this, it is precisely these remarkable functions that make the absence of gravity so impactful.
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Several driving forces are at play here, and we will learn about them one by one.
- Mechanical stress and tumor growth
Since our bodies rely on gravity’s mechanical stress to maintain bone and muscle, its absence in space acts as a “mechanical amplifier”. This allows scientists to isolate and study mechano-sensitive signaling pathways (such as FAK/RhoA and YAP/TAZ), which are often “masked” by Earth’s gravity. On Earth, these pathways are the key culprits behind tumor growth – or metastasis, and drug resistance. Therefore, identifying them in space can help researchers develop concentrated inhibitors to stop cancer from spreading in terrestrial patients.
- Reversing Immune Evasion
Cancer cells often “hide” from the immune system, a process known as immune evasion. Surprisingly, space research has shown that microgravity can reverse these evasion mechanisms. Scientists have discovered the unique ways in which microgravity can alter the “crosstalk” between cancer cells and our immune systems to make tumors more detectable to the body’s defenses. Simply put, cancer cells typically enter an “escape phase” where they evade immune surveillance through many complex mechanisms. Microgravity can disrupt these processes, thus shedding new light on cancer research.
- Advances in prevention strategies – Immunotherapy & Vaccines
Research into how spaceflight affects the human genome has also opened up new avenues for precision oncology. In other terms, microgravity can reactivate human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), which are technically remnants of ancient viruses in our DNA. While potentially harmful, these HERVs can serve as highly specific immunogenic targets for developing cell therapies and cancer vaccines. In the case of lung cancer, especially – microgravity has been found to help increase cancer cells’ sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. This can help speed up these cells’ death and increase the treatment’s overall efficiency.
These awesome findings have all pointed towards one message: the story of gravity is one of biological balance. While we require its presence to maintain our natural structure and immunity, its absence opens a novel route for cancer research. Hence, by studying the impact of microgravity, we are not only learning how to protect astronauts on long-term missions, we are also searching for the ultimate cure for seemingly “incurable” diseases such as cancer.
Credits: Wikipedia Oxford Academic Oxford space lab Biorxiv
Editor: Ngoc Anh Bui
Illustrator: Linh Trieu