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>> This morning we have some news
about developments resulting
from a space station science experiment
that began more than 11 years ago.
A micro encapsulation electrostatic processing system,
or MEPS, was recently cited
by international space station chief scientist Dr. Julie
Robinson is number one on her list
of the top 10 research results
on the space station during its first 15 years in space.
That was a space station science experiment
that flew during expedition 5.
Well today, the company that licensed the MEPS technology
for use in cancer treatments is moving toward human clinical
trials in the treatment of breast cancer.
Joining us today is Dr. Dennis Morrison, a former JSC scientist
who is the principal investigator on the MEPS.
He is now a Vice President with NuVue Therapeutics,
the company that I referred to.
Start by telling us what it was you were looking to achieve
when you started the MEPS research on the station in 2002.
>> Sure, [inaudible].
The tendency for therapy in cancer treatment now is to go
to what's called focal therapy, to try to put a focus
on the tumor itself instead of having to expose the body
to all the treatment therapies.
So for radiation, it's a matter of focusing the radiation.
For chemotherapy, it's techniques to be able
to deliver the chemotherapy drugs directly
into the tumor instead of having to give
so much all systemically.
Our approach to this was to make liquid-filled micro balloons.
These are like a childrens' water balloon,
full of anticancer drug and a contrast agent,
so you can actually visualize them in real time
as they're being deposited in the tumor
and on the outside skin rather
than being a [inaudible] component.
It's made of biocompatible [inaudible]
that let's the drugs slowly be released or slowly disintegrate,
so over times so it disappears after awhile.
[Inaudible] Exactly.
So, the approach was to make these unique micro balloons
in precisely the right kind of quality conditions.
The difficulty is that the way we elected to make them,
the different liquids,
[inaudible] liquids are different densities,
so on earth they stratify into layers.
As a result, it's hard to get them to come together
to form little micro balloons and form a skin
in the right proportions.
When we go to microgravity, surface tension takes over
and all liquids go [inaudible], so it makes it much easier
to put a sphere with another sphere and form a skin
around the outside, and the trick is to be able to learn how
to control those conditions
so that eventually we could make them on earth.
And that was what the space experiments did.
And in the space station, that was the definitive experiments,
when we did 8 experiments encapsulating 7 different kinds
of drugs and a genetically engineered DNA.
>> We happen to have a picture that we can show
of what that looks like.
>> Yes. On the left, there are [inaudible] capsules
that were formed in space containing a photodynamic
therapy drug.
Now, this is a drug that is activated
after it's been absorbed by tumor cells.
On the right is an example with the fluorescence showing
that those microcapsules are full and evenly distributed
of the anticancer drug contained inside.
>> Now, it's one thing to be able to make that in space.
I guess the next step is, how do you make it on earth
and make enough of it so that it can be useful?
>> Yes. And the trick was that we had to learn how
to control the conditions
to bring these different liquid phases into interaction
where they spontaneously would form the capsule,
and the microgravity experiments with a variety
of different conditions and real-time video
of the capsules being formed in the MEPS device,
gave us the information to be able
to develop a system called the Pulse Flow Microcapsule System
that we use on the ground now today, and we no longer have
to go to space in order to be able to make the capsules
with the right proportions of content and in large quantities.
>> Enough so that you can do experiments and find
out just how they work?
>> That's true, and that led us to the capabilities to be able
to explore several different applications for commercial use,
and we did studies with the microcapsules that were made
and are now made on the ground to be able
to treat human prostate and human lung tumors in animals
to define the dose, the quantity, and the sequence
of how often you need to give these capsules,
because they actually act as a sustained-release form,
releasing the drug over a period of 10 to 12 days.
>> You brought us a little clip of animation that demonstrates,
shows us what this looks like when you give the drug.
>> Yes, yes, that's correct.
Let me suggest that there are 2 steps
to this with the animation.
This is an imitation of a growing tumor
with the small deposits, that is just 1/20 of 1 drop
of microcapsules being deposited in a tumor.
And when it's exposed to near infrared radiation light,
then the drug is activated which kills the tumor.
In that particular technology is
such that those drugs are absorbed only
by the tumor cells, not by normal cells,
and the drug is totally inactive
until the near infrared light reaches them.
Now, we got into that because we were studying the use
of near infrared light to stimulate bone cell
and stimulate wound healing for astronaut use in the station.
And that kind of a device was developed here.
I have an example.
This was developed for NASA
under a small business innovative research grant years
ago, and this light is set up with a near infrared light,
the same wavelength as a laser pointer.
But it penetrates deep into tissue as you can see.
This will actually penetrate in adequate quantities to be able
to go 5 to 7 inches deep into tissue so it's suitable
to be able to use it for handheld device like this
or be able to use it for fiber optics
to deliver the light near the tumor
and it radiates the microcapsules
that have been deposited there.
>> You've gone from an experiment in space
to learning how to make the same product on earth in 1G.
I understand that last week you were also
in Washington D.C. trying to get approval
from the government agencies for the next step to try
to test these products in human beings.
>> Yes that's correct, and we were with the Food
and Drug Administration last week,
and our initial step we've proposed to the FDA a plan
to do the testing required to be able to use these microcapsules
as a marker in breast biopsy sites.
When some breast tissue is removed, make a small deposit
of tiny quantity of our microcapsules.
We do that.
We have a picture that sort
of illustrates it in a tumor tissue.
I think it's the next slide there.
>> That one?
>> Yes. In the upper left corner, I don't have a pointer-
>> Up at the top?
>> There is an oblong tumor there and there is a center
that shows that there are microcapsules being deposited,
that was 1/20 of 1 drop, and that was done in real time.
You can see when the microcapsules actually come
out of the fine gauge needle.
>> Wow.
>> So you can exactly position them.
The use there is to have it as a reference marker
for future tumor biopsies in case they are needed.
You can see with ultrasound imaging,
you can see where you took the first biopsy
and carefully position where you're going
to take the next biopsy, or as an aid
to the surgeon just before he goes ahead and excises
and removes that tumor.
And that's the first step that we've approached the Food
and Drug Administration about, being able to use it in patients
to treat, as a diagnostic tool, for human breast cancer.
The next step, of course, is that the only difference
between these marker microcapsules
and a drug delivery one, is that we put the drug inside
in the water's content.
So, the next step is we're doing this
where we're developing the same kind of test
to show the capsules are compatible with the body,
they're safe and they're effective for both imaging
but also effective as a delivery device
to be able to treat the tumors.
And our previous animal studies have shown
that that's quite efficient in treating human lung
and prostate tumors, and now this application will be
for treating human breast tumors.
>> It will be very exciting to see how that progresses.
Thank you for getting us up to date
on this old station experiment.
>> Thank you for [inaudible].
>> Dr. Dennis Morrison is the principal investigator
of the MEPS experiment. ------------------------------c32c8a03c09d--