Researchers from IIT Madras use microgravity to create giant cancer cells

Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras recently obtained giant cancer cells with stem cell characteristics using microgravity. 

These stem cells can be used to understand the nature of cancer cells, their proliferation and death, which can help in identification of target zones for drug development.

The research was led by professor Rama S Verma from Stem Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta from School of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras.

Speaking about the practical application of this research, Verma said, “We have shown that simulated microgravity can be used for development of stem cell structures which can be used to test medicines, instead of using animals as models. Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) are important in cancer research because they not only encourage the formation of tumours, but also play a role in recurrence of tumours after cancer treatment.”

Further, Verma said that the stem cells obtained using microgravity can also be used to understand the nature of the cancer cells, their proliferation and cell death pathways, which in turn can help in identifying target zones when developing medicines.

In an earlier study, the IIT Madras team had found that colorectal cancer cells died under simulated microgravity but once the microgravity condition was removed, they returned.

This meant that while microgravity conditions destroyed full-grown cancer cells, they must have allowed stem cells to live, or perhaps converted the cancer cells to stem-cell like forms.  “Either way, these stem cells can be used for cancer research and drug development,” added Verma.

To understand the formation of these stem cells better, the researchers grew colorectal cancer cells in a special device called rotary cell culture system, originally developed by the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for performing biological research in space-simulated conditions. The device has an environment that simulates microgravity.