Abstract
Human follicular thyroid cancer cells (FTC-133) were sent to space via a sounding rocket during the TEXUS-53 mission to determine the impact of short-term microgravity on these cells. To enable cell culture and fixation in real microgravity, an automated experiment container (EC) was constructed. In order to ensure safe cell culture, cell-chambers consisting of polycarbonate (PC) material were used. They were highly biocompatible as proved by measuring cell survival using Annexin V flow cytometry. In the follow-up experiment, FTC-133 cells were sent to space via a sounding rocket and were fixed before and after the microgravity (µg) phase with RNAlater. In addition, cells were tested for reactions on hypergravity (hyper-g) as much as 18 g to determine whether worst case acceleration during launch can have an influence on the cells. We investigated genes belonging to biological processes such as cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, tumor growth, angiogenesis and apoptosis. Pathway analyses revealed central functions of VEGFA and EGF. EGF upregulates aspartate beta-hydroxylase (ASPH) which is influencing CASP3. Hyper-g induced a significant up-regulation of TUBB1, VIM, RDX, CAV1, VEGFA and BCL2. FTC-133 cells grown in an automated EC exposed to µg revealed moderate gene expression changes indicating their survival in orbit.
Highlights
Human follicular thyroid cancer cells (FTC-133) were sent to space via a sounding rocket during the TEXUS-53 mission to determine the impact of short-term microgravity on these cells
The hardware is thermo-controlled to 37 °C and easy access to the hardware in the rocket is possible by separate openings in the outer structure so that experimental unit (EU) could be installed at the latest possible time before launch
FTC-133 thyroid cancer cells used for the TX-53 mission were grown without contact to the cell chamber (CC) material, with direct contact to the CC material, or in conditioned medium previously incubated with CC material (Fig. 1B)
Summary
Human follicular thyroid cancer cells (FTC-133) were sent to space via a sounding rocket during the TEXUS-53 mission to determine the impact of short-term microgravity on these cells. In the follow-up experiment, FTC-133 cells were sent to space via a sounding rocket and were fixed before and after the microgravity (μg) phase with RNAlater. Recurrent DTC can become less-differentiated, lack iodine uptake capability and is radioiodine refractory Patients with this cancer type have a remarkably reduced survivability and treatment options for DTC are extremely limited. Alterations of gravity have been shown to remarkably influence growth and biological processes of malignant cancer cells[5,6,7,8,9,10]. While parabolic flights offer an accumulation of 31 parabolas each with 22 sec of microgravity (μg) and 40 sec of 1.8 g, a space mission offers up to a 14-day or longer phase of microgravity[12,15,16,17,18,19]
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