Space Fever: Curing Astronauts (and Me Too)
By Kristoff Misquitta, 2020 Genes in Space winner
Gazing into the night sky at the peak of March quarantine, I remember thinking there was no place I’d rather be than space. The stars mingled just a finger’s width apart, the Moon shone a bright, healthy white, and all remained oblivious to the lockdowns just being imposed.
Beyond being refreshingly pandemic-free, space had also been the subject of so many of my childhood fascinations, from breathtaking supernovae to Earth-like exoplanets. I had always yearned for the chance to visit, and living so long between my desk and the dining table only intensified my desire.
But before I could start saving for the long trip skyward, my biology teacher, Ms. Jessica Quenzer, introduced me to Genes in Space. Each year, the contest fulfills the ultimate dream of any star-inspired scientist: launching an experiment to the International Space Station (ISS). Better yet, there’s no $250,000 price tag or arduous training process; it’s free, and all it takes to win is the submission of a compelling proposal. It was everything I had hoped for — a ticket to the stars, so close within reach!
Ecstatic about entering, I searched for ideas with Ms. Quenzer at light speed, drawing inspiration from prior Genes in Space experiments studying anything from DNA editing to neurodegeneration to cancer. Perhaps because of my preoccupation with the pandemic, it wasn’t long before my curiosity led me to an outbreak of the common cold during Apollo 7. Even after exhausting its entire supply of tissues and decongestants, its crew struggled to find relief [1]. It sounded unbearable even in a virus-stricken world five decades later.
Digging deeper, I discovered that this incident was actually a symptom of a more serious problem: the reduced efficacy of medicines in space. The phenomenon had been documented across 79 shuttle missions, where about 1 in 5 pharmaceutical drug uses were considered not effective [2]. It was also noted on ISS Expeditions 21–40, during which up to 40% of uses of medications for rash and allergy were only “somewhat effective.”[3] While failing to alleviate conditions like congestion or drowsiness is an inconvenience at worst, being unable to treat a seizure, blood clot, or other serious ailment if it arises in space could mean the difference between life and death. I knew it was an uncertainty too dangerous to ignore.
Thus, I focused my proposal on the liver: the body’s main metabolic organ and typical suspect when it comes to therapeutic woes. Specifically, I sought to measure the concentration of an enzyme deep within its tissues that helps break down more than 80% of clinically used drugs. If the enzyme’s production is altered in space — due to stress, a modified diet, or microgravity — then the pace at which it metabolizes medicine will differ, too. This gets at the heart of what may be causing anomalies in drug effectiveness at a targeted, microscopic level.
As the weeks of brainstorming and drafting before submission passed, I couldn’t help but reflect on the journey Genes in Space had guided me through. In developing my final experiment, I had explored the history of human spaceflight, dove into the cutting edge of ISS science, and even pondered the spacefaring future of mankind, whether on the Moon, Mars, or farther beyond. I gained a truly profound understanding of life among the stars — its challenges, yes, but more importantly, its beauty.
I feel deeply privileged that my journey did not end there. As a finalist, I was paired with Kathryn Malecek, Ph.D., to further develop my experiment before the final presentation. Our conversations not only inspired me scientifically but also fostered an unbreakable friendship I will always cherish.
Now, as the winner, I’ve continued working alongside Dr. Malecek and some of the warmest and most dedicated mentors I’ve ever known — Sebastian Kraves, Ph.D., Emily Gleason, Ph.D., Bess Miller, and Katy Martin, Ph.D. — to prepare my experiment for launch to the ISS. Equipped with the knowledge it could one day generate, the dosing of drugs or their ingredients may be altered to be a better fit for astronauts’ needs. And if so, when the first crewed deep space mission finally arrives, we’ll have peace of mind in knowing that the medical problems astronauts may face — headaches, motion sickness, infections, and more — will find safer, faster, and more effective resolutions.
But however far away that day may be, I can rest easy in knowing that even if I can’t be aboard the rocket myself, my ideas will.
1. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/medicine-and-the-moon-landing-1.5211851
2. Putcha L, Berens KL, Marshburn TH, Ortega HJ, Billica RD. Pharmaceutical use by U.S. astronauts on space shuttle missions. Aviat Space Environ Med. 1999;70(7):705–708. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10417009/
3. Daniels, V. & Bayuse, T. Risk of ineffective or toxic medications during long-duration exploration spaceflight. Oral Presentation, NASA Human Systems Risk Board (2018). https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/Risks/risk.aspx?i=83
