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NASA awarded a $1.86m contract to University of Connecticut (UConn) professor Yupeng Chen, who will collaborate with university spin-off firm Eascra Biotech and Texas aerospace company Axiom Space on the project.
The partners will work with astronauts aboard the ISS to conduct a proof-of-concept study involving the fabrication of DNA-inspiredJanus base多功能纳米材料(JBNs),这就是我们ed in therapeutic and regenerative treatments for arthritis, cancer, and neurological diseases.
Manufacturing in low or no gravity environments can lead to higher quality products with fewer defects, the team said. Microgravity can create more orderly structures and higher levels of homogeneity than current terrestrial methods.
Those characteristics could enable the manufacturing of more effective therapeutic options for a variety of treatments, including cartilage tissue repair and regeneration solutions. Eascra’s first target is a new, advanced approach to osteoarthritis treatment and orthopaedic tissue repair and regeneration.
The project was one of eight to receive $21m in grant funding from NASA. The UConn/ Eascra team will use its $1.86m grant to support two flights. A third flight, scheduled for next spring, will be supported by Axiom’s private astronaut mission.
“This project will establish a roadmap to commercialise the in-space manufacturing strategy for a family of DNA-inspired Janus base nanomaterials used for tissue regeneration,” said Chen. “Leveraging the benefits of microgravity in the fabrication process has the potential to deliver more orderly JBN products that achieve better structural integrity and therapeutic outcomes.”
The controlledself-assembly的DNA-inspired JBNs使他们完美的坦诚ates for in-space production, the project team said. “These JBNs will be used as effective, safe, and stable delivery vehicles for RNA therapeutics, gene editing and vaccines, as well as first-in-kind cell-free, injectable scaffolds for regenerative medicine.”
Axiom is also working to build theAxiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in low-Earth orbit. Axiom Station will give Eascra and other companies access to in-space manufacturing capabilities for biomedical products with the potential to benefit life on Earth.
“This extraordinary team gives us a unique opportunity to evaluate our technology and manufacturing processes,” said Eascra CEO Mari Anne Snow. “The combined subject matter expertise and specialised insight will help us deliver out-of-this-world solutions, advancing treatment options for many chronic conditions and unmet medical needs. The ability to manufacture in low or no gravity allows us to ramp up the process and increases quality beyond anything currently available on Earth.”
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