Keynote Panel Tackling Cancer and Disease Research in Low Earth Orbit Kicks Off ISSRDC 2023
iss052e018944 (7/24/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson working with the Efficacy and Metabolism of Azonafide Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Microgravity (ADCs in Microgravity). The ADCs in Microgravity investigation evaluates new antibody-drug conjugates that combine an immune-activating drug with antibodies in order to target only cancer cells, increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reducing its side effects. In microgravity, cancer cells grow in three-dimensional, spheroid structures that closely resemble their form in the human body, allowing for better drug testing. This investigation may accelerate development of targeted therapies for cancer patients.
Media Credit: NASA
Seattle (WA), July 19, 2023 — The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be nearly two million new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2023, and more than half a million cancer-related deaths. To that end, cancer and other disease-related research on the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) is of critical importance not only to NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration, but also to the Biden-Harris administration. This year, the 12th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference(Abbreviation: ISSRDC) The only conference dedicated exclusively to showcasing how the International Space Station is advancing science and technology and enabling a robust and sustainable market in LEO. This annual conference brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, manager of the ISS National Lab; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society. (ISSRDC) takes aim at deadly diseases with its Day 1 keynote panel, “Igniting Innovation to Accelerate Disease Research on the ISS.”
Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, the assistant director for space policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), moderates this important discussion. In 2022, The White House unveiled Cancer Moonshot—an initiative to bring renewed leadership to the fight against cancer. Joining Uzo-Okoro on this panel are Lisa Carnell, division director of Biological and Physical Sciences at NASA, and Michael Roberts, chief scientific officer at the ISS National Laboratory.
This conversation will explore how the National Low Earth Orbit Research and Development Strategy positions the microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. research community to uniquely contribute to the success of cancer and other disease treatment innovation, and facilitates the development of therapeutics with results that benefit humanity and improve the quality of life for patients on Earth.
Our Day 1 morning keynote panel kicks off ISSRDC 2023, the annual conference that brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC will showcase how the space station continues to provide a valuable platform for research and technology development that benefits humanity and enables a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles..
The conference is hosted by the ISS National Laboratory, managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).); NASA; and the American Astronautical Society (AAS) at the Hyatt Regency Seattle July 31-August 3, 2023. To learn more about ISSRDC 2023, including how to register, exhibit, or become a conference sponsor, please visit the conference website.
Download a high-resolution photo for this release: NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson
Media Contact:
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation. Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.
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