Dmitri Lovetsky | AP <\/p>\n
Dmitri Lovetsky | AP<\/p>\n
Astronaut Jessica Meir, a member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station, waves prior the launch of Soyuz MS-15 space ship at the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Sept. 25, 2019.<\/p>\n
Maine astronaut Jessica Meir has been aboard the International Space Station only a few days, but she is already at work on experiments that could prove key to cancer patients down here on Earth.<\/p>\n
Meir on Tuesday tweeted pictures of herself observing protein crystals growing in microgravity during her third microscopy session.<\/p>\n
Without gravity, crystals can grow bigger and more pure, she said in the tweet.<\/p>\n
A new class of drugs, made from engineered proteins, stimulate the bodys own immune system to fight cancer and other ailments, but typically need to be delivered in large quantities at a hospital, where it may take several hours for a patient to receive a single dose, according to NASA.<\/p>\n
This research Meir is engaged in, which isnt possible on Earth, could yield highly concentrated protein crystals that, according to NASA, would allow such drugs to be delivered as a simple injection in a doctors office. Besides potential applications for cancer treatment, NASA says this research may prove beneficial for developing treatments for Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, viral infections and liver disease.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 25, Meir became the third Mainer, and first Maine woman, to go into space when the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft carried her from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. Meir is from Caribou.<\/p>\n
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Jessica Meir conducting experiments on space station that could aid cancer treatment - Bangor Daily News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dmitri Lovetsky | AP Dmitri Lovetsky | AP Astronaut Jessica Meir, a member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station, waves prior the launch of Soyuz MS-15 space ship at the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Sept. Continue reading