News — WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is honored to announce its selection for a pioneering cancer research project that will take place aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The project, one of only five chosen through a competitive solicitation by the ISS National Lab in partnership with NASA, aims to explore the effects of microgravity on cancer development and treatment.
The project, led by Dr. Shay Soker, focuses on the use of organoids—miniature, simplified versions of organs grown in the lab from cells recovered from colorectal cancer patients. These organoids will be sent to the ISS to study how microgravity affects cancer growth and response to treatment, offering insights that could revolutionize cancer therapies here on Earth.
“Being selected for this project is an incredible honor and opportunity for our team at WFIRM,” said Dr. Soker. “The microgravity environment of the ISS provides a unique setting to study cancer in ways that are not possible on Earth. This research has the potential to unlock new understandings of cancer behavior and lead to more effective treatments.”
The ISS National Lab, in collaboration with NASA, seeks to harness the power of space-based research to benefit life on Earth. The selected projects are at the forefront of scientific exploration and innovation, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in cancer research.
“This selection underscores WFIRM’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific research and finding innovative solutions to some of the world’s most challenging health issues,” said Dr. Anthony Atala, Director of Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and co-lead for the grant. “Conducting this research in the microgravity environment of the ISS offers us a rare opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of cancer, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes here on Earth.”
The implications of this research extend far beyond the ISS. By studying cancer in a microgravity environment, scientists hope to uncover new mechanisms of disease progression and identify novel therapeutic targets. The results of this study could lead to the development of more effective cancer treatments and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
This project is part of the broader initiative by the ISS National Lab and NASA to utilize the unique conditions of space to drive scientific discovery and innovation. The collaboration underscores the importance of space research in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today.
As the project progresses, WFIRM will continue to share updates on its findings and the potential implications for the future of cancer treatment.
About Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine: The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is recognized as an international leader in translating scientific discovery into clinical therapies, with many world firsts, including the development and implantation of the first engineered organ in a patient. Over 500 people at the institute, the largest in the world, work on more than 40 different tissues and organs. A number of the basic principles of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine were first developed at the institute. WFIRM researchers have successfully engineered replacement tissues and organs in all four categories – flat structures, tubular tissues, hollow organs and solid organs – and 17 different applications of cell/tissue therapy technologies, such as skin, urethras, cartilage, bladders, muscle, kidney, and vaginal organs, have been successfully used in human patients. The institute, which is part of Wake Forest University, is located in the Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, and is driven by the urgent needs of patients. The institute is making a global difference in regenerative medicine through collaborations with over 500 entities and institutions worldwide, through its government, academic and industry partnerships, its start-up entities, and through major initiatives in breakthrough technologies, such as tissue engineering, cell therapies, diagnostics, drug discovery, biomanufacturing, nanotechnology, gene editing and 3D printing. Learn more at WFIRM.org.
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