Why Tumours, Organoids and Spheroids in Space?

Many of the challenges in developing 3D culturing platforms for drug discovery and testing stem from a fundamental issue: gravity. Traditional in-vitro assays relying on two-dimensional cell monolayers and animal models often fall short in accurately replicating human biology. By leveraging microgravity, we can create more physiologically relevant and functional 3D models, improving the development of personalised medicine and accelerating drug approval.

3D organoids and spheroids are grown from primary human tissue or pluripotent stem cells, exhibiting enhanced multicellular self-organisation and organ-like functionality. These models are capable of self-renewal, and can remain stable for extended periods of time, making them invaluable for disease modelling and drug testing.

However, some of the limitations on Earth for the culturing and application of organoids (for in vitro models, drug development and optimisation, personalised treatments) are gravity related, such as:

• sedimentation and shear forces that lead to irregular organoid formation, size variability, and inconsistent tissue architecture;
• uneven nutrient and oxygen distribution, resulting in size variability, necrotic cores, and structural inconsistencies in organoids;
• scaffold dependence, which can introduce variability, interfere with natural cell behavior, and limit scalability. 

The M4PM tumours, organoids and spheroids in space will be grown in a low shear environment to more heterogeneously sized high-quality 3D constructs which can be used for in-space drug screening, drug optimisation, disease modelling and personalised medicine (e.g. cancer treatments), either for industrial pre-clinical testing or academic research purposes. 

Microgravity offers a way to overcome these challenges, enabling the growth of more physiologically relevant 3D models for drug development and personalized medicine. 

Added value of space-grown tumours, organoids and spheroids:

• High-quality tumours, organoids, spheroids with homogeneous larger sizes than usually obtained under 1g conditions;
• Specific space-phenotypes (e.g. aged phenotypes);
• The potential to minimise or,  in some cases, eliminate the need for scaffolds or Matrigel in the growth of such organoids and spheroids. 

• In-space cell culture platform for growing Tumours, Organoids and Spheroids as products for pharmaceutical and biotechnology testing, as well as academic research;
• High throughput screening using tissues, organoids and spheroids for pharmaceutical and biotechnology testing, and academic research;
• Higher quality results, difficult or impossible to obtain on Earth, enabled by microgravity;
• First of its kind international community of researchers and experts in relevant and related fields of investigation;
• Having more reproducible results from in vitro tissues, organoids, spheroids models for modelling of diseases and testing drugs and less need for animal models.