Why space

Space disease modeling reveals hidden biological mechanisms by leveraging microgravity, enabling key disease pathways specific testing and breakthrough discoveries unattainable on Earth.

Redefining Drug Discovery: Unlocking Breakthroughs in-Orbit

Enhanced disease modeling in space revolutionizes drug development by revealing key molecular mechanisms that traditional models fail to capture, leading to more effective and targeted therapies. By enabling specific testing of disease pathways, it allows scientists to identify novel drug targets at early stages, significantly reducing failure rates in clinical trials. ​

This deeper molecular understanding helps uncover previously hidden biomarkers, improving diagnostics and personalized medicine. With high-throughput screening in microgravity, drug efficacy and resistance can be tested in a more physiologically relevant environment, accelerating innovation. Ultimately, this approach leads to faster drug discovery, better treatments, and improved disease management, transforming human health worldwide.​

Space research provides unparalleled opportunities for scientific advancements beyond Earth's constraints​

Disease Modeling in Space: The Advantages

Applications in drug development​

Microgravity effects

  • Accelerated Cellular Senescence​

  • Enhanced development of aging molecular patterns

Aging

Identify and treat early aging molecular processes with repercussions in neurodegeneration​


immune

Development of modulators to overcome autoimmune diseases, or enable immunotherapy in the context of cancer​

  • Altered immune responses​

  • Reported immune dysregulation​


Neuro-

degeneration

Identification of key therapeutic drugs targeting neuronal regeneration using stem cell technology​

  • Faster Neuronal Development​

  • Accelerated neurodegeneration patterns formation​


cancer

Development of molecules to overcome drug resistance, or effectively manage aggressive tumors​

  • Altered aggressiveness​

  • Reported high drug resistance​


Case study: Orbital oncology

Specific advantages of cancer testing in space​

Advantages for drug discovery​

Effect observed​

2020 Stem Cells Transl Med

Accelerated Growth

Effective growth inactivator drugs

Shorter testing timelines​

2024 Int J Mol Sci

Altered Drug Resistance​

Identify HITS that overcome drug resistance

Identify and target molecular pathways involved

2019 Nat Sci Rep

Increased Aggressiveness

Drugs tailored for aggressive cancer

Isolation of key molecular mechanisms for new therapy

2021 Stem Cells Int.

Enhanced Metastasis Potential​

Treatment development for distant metastasis​

Molecular target identification for late-stage tumors​