One of the aspirations of science and technology is to overcome the limitations of human nature. From the stone arrows that turned humans into the most formidable predators on earth, despite being fairly small animals, to the invention of agriculture and sewage systems, knowledge and its practical applications are at the heart of our species. This is one of our strengths. Each time you cross a frontier, a new frontier appears that is more complex, but also more fascinating for the same reasons.
Currently, two of those frontiers are space and cancer. One is external, connecting us to the earth we were born into, and the other is internal, separating us from all the mechanisms that not only kill us, but also keep us alive. It is also a disease that does not exist. Sara Garcia, 33, is a reserve member of a new team of European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts and a researcher at the National Center for Cancer Research (CNIO) in Madrid, Spain. She is working on both of these frontiers.
She acknowledges that she is “jealous and private” and “doesn’t really like to put herself out there and be around people,” but since being selected for the ESA, she has not received much media attention. Collecting these has given her a “megaphone.” She says she likes to use it “to disseminate science, to inform society about the benefits of space mission research, and to encourage girls and boys to pursue careers.” [in science and technology]” As part of her outreach activities, she recently took part in the III R&D Forum organized by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in Madrid, where several experts spoke about the future of health, sustainability and society.
question. You are now well known as an astronaut, but what kind of work do you do as a cancer researcher?
answer. In Mariano Barbacid’s lab, where I work, we are working on therapeutics to design drugs and treatments to fight the types of cancers known to be promoted by specific mutations, namely mutations in the KRAS oncogene. He has been searching for his target for more than 10 years. After years of research, they discovered a very important target. This is because ablation of this target in mouse models results in tumor suppression but no toxicity. This target is called RAF1. I also joined the study at that point. To design a drug, we need to know what this target looks like, what its three-dimensional shape looks like, what gaps there are in this protein, what vulnerabilities it has. We need to identify them and design specific drugs to attack them. That’s my project. I successfully isolated and purified a protein that had been unsuccessful for 30 years. We have solved the atomic structure at very high resolution and are currently testing candidate substances to design drugs that achieve this therapeutic effect.
Q. How can we combine that research with research in space?
a. Microgravity research conducted on the International Space Station [ISS] It gives us a perspective that cannot be recreated on Earth due to gravity. For example, many laboratories involved in cancer research use models called organoids or tumoloids. This is a group of three-dimensional cells that more or less faithfully reproduces what happens in tumors inside the human body. That happens naturally on the ISS, which has no gravity. There is no need to force three-dimensional versus two-dimensional growth, which is what we researchers typically do with culture plates.
Another interesting point is that when cells are affected by the absence of gravity and the cosmic radiation experienced in space, they may reveal vulnerabilities that were not observed on Earth due to the lack of such conditions. That’s it. This may give clues about signaling pathways and possible treatments to counter the tumorigenicity of the cells.
Q. What kind of research can only be done in space?
A. One example is research on aging. Research on the ISS in microgravity is like studying accelerated aging. There is no need to take tissue samples every few years for years to see how different tissues change. Within the normal length of 6 months, [space] Current missions have many effects on human physiology, largely mimicking aging and age-related pathologies.
One of the characteristics that has been observed since the beginning of space missions is a significant degeneration and loss of muscle mass, and degeneration and loss of bone mass. It is also known that exposure to cosmic radiation increases the likelihood of cancer, another age-related disease, and changes that lead to vision problems such as cataracts. All this he does over a period of 6 months.
Q. Nobel laureate in physics Steven Weinberg, who was highly critical of the usefulness of humans in space exploration compared to robots, famously stated:[Humans] Because they radiate heat, they are very expensive to keep alive, and unlike robotic missions, they have a natural desire to return. [to Earth]” Do you think there is a future for humans in space now that almost every profession seems threatened by artificial intelligence and machines?
A. I understand that and can completely defend it. However, I do not believe that human exploration and robotics are mutually exclusive. In fact, the branch of ESA that we astronauts and astronaut candidates belong to is called Human Exploration and Robotics, because it combines human exploration and robotics. Robots are laying the groundwork, taking samples and studying the details in preparation for the arrival of humans.
Moreover, when we talk about, for example, research on aging and analysis of the physiological effects that occur in humans, the astronauts themselves are guinea pigs, and there is no better way to reproduce what happens inside the human body than with humans. . There is. And even just collecting animal models such as mouse models, plant models, yeast models, etc. requires engineers to collect that information. Sure, we could use robots, but today creativity, the ability to change ongoing behavior or react to unforeseen events that are not in the protocol, is better in humans than in machines. I think that there. I’d like to think that won’t change. We still outperform machines. Look at all the missions to the moon that used rovers and robots to collect regolith samples. Apollo astronauts were able to collect far more samples. The combination of robots and humans is very interesting in establishing a permanent base on the moon. Robots can perform more dangerous tasks, such as exploring areas to establish bases or digging for resources, and then humans can perform other more difficult tasks on their behalf.
Q. Frequently asked questions for astronauts. The ISS budget is more than $3 billion annually. What do you get from it?
A. I learned a lot of things I didn’t know. There are countless applications, including the same technology used in cell phones when recording interviews. One application that caught my attention has to do with developing new forms of food for astronauts. It is well known that astronauts’ meals need to be powdered and dried so that they take up very little space. They were studying a blue-green algae called spirulina and learned how to grow it in microgravity conditions and then dry it. It was observed that this entire system produces a highly nutritious product, providing the required amount of nutrients and vitamins that humans require in a day. They transplanted this very simple algae cultivation and drying system to the Congo. Now, one gram of these algae powders grown and dried in bathtubs contains all the nutritional properties and vitamins necessary for survival, making them a tool to fight world hunger.
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