Startup Eyes Space-Age Cancer Treatment

In the future, cancer treatment might come from outer space. According to the Cancer Research Institute, immunotherapy drugs, which supercharge the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells, are already revolutionizing the treatment of certain advanced cancers. However, much like traditional chemotherapy, these drugs currently must be administered intravenously in a clinical setting—a process that can take hours. Their chemical properties prevent alternative formulations, as the drugs are too thick and viscous to be injected with a regular syringe.

A biotechnology startup called BioOrbit hopes to change that—with a little help from space.

A Space-Based Solution

According to Wired, crystallizing the proteins in immunotherapy drugs could make them suitable for injection with a syringe, enabling administration at home. The problem? Earth’s gravitational pull makes achieving the precise protein crystallization needed nearly impossible. BioOrbit’s founder, Katie King, who holds a PhD in nanomedicine from Cambridge, has a bold solution: make the drugs in space.

This isn’t just a pie-in-the-sky idea. BioOrbit has already secured funding to test this innovative process on the International Space Station in 2024. If successful, the company plans to conduct a second flight in partnership with a pharmaceutical company. The good news is they might not have trouble finding a partner—pharmaceutical giants like Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck have been conducting space-based research for years.

Looking to the Future

Katie King’s ultimate goal is to establish a permanent facility in space to conduct research and manufacture drugs, potentially revolutionizing an already groundbreaking field of cancer treatment.

As out-of-this-world as it might seem, this approach could lead to more accessible and convenient cancer treatments, proving that the next frontier in medicine might just be found among the stars.