Abstract 169: Leveraging space to advance terrestrial cancer research

Abstract

Abstract The International Space Station (ISS) offers a unique macroenvironment to study biology. The effects of microgravity in low earth orbit (LEO) can be leveraged to study pre-cancer and cancer transformation in an accelerated timeframe. Thus, we launched two cancer cell types into space as a proof of concept and to establish an innovative model for studying cancer. The two cell types are TF1a, an erythroleukemia cell line, and Caco-2, a colon cancer cell line that was cultured as organoids. These studies were performed in collaboration with Axiom Space and were launched as part of the Ax-1 mission on April 8, 2022. To study these tumor organoids in space, cells were transduced with two lentiviral reporters, ADAR1 NanoLuciferase reporter, an A-to-I editing reporter, and Fucci2BL, a cell-cycle transit reporter. Fluorescent imaging at days 5 and 6 of the mission, courtesy of KEyence Research MIcroscope Testbed (KERMIT), allowed us to receive and assess the development of these tumor models in real-time. Caco-2 organoids in flight grew 3-5 times bigger than their ground counterparts. Preliminary whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis showed that telomere length is shortened in flight samples compared to asynchronous ground control samples. In summary, research done in LEO has the capacity to strengthen terrestrial research. As we follow-up with these studies as part of the Ax-2 mission in May of 2023, we hope to gain more insight into the pathogenesis of cancer and develop strategies to mitigate cancer progression. Citation Format: Jessica Pham, Luisa Ladel, Christina Wu, Catriona Jamieson. Leveraging space to advance terrestrial cancer research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 169.