NASA research, which is usually conducted to develop ways to protect astronauts from radiation, helps in the fight against cancer and other diseases, according to the US space agency, which also allocates its devices and technologies to assist in medical research.
site transfersCher AmericaThe government says the agency’s efforts to combat cancer show how the benefits of scientific research in one area can lead to breakthroughs in another.
The agency usually conducts its research in order to protect its astronauts from harmful rays, as it says that in just six months an astronaut may be exposed to the equivalent of 1,000 chest x-rays.
Similar to Earth, radiation in space may increase the risk of cancer and other diseases, prompting the US agency to pay more attention to funding research in this field.
In 2002, the Agency previously funded a study that enabled the use of sections of human DNA to measure the percentage of radiation to which the body is exposed, and the study also enabled the assessment of DNA damage that leads to disease.
The National Laboratory of the International Space Station appealed to researchers to submit proposals to conduct research in space that contribute to the development of a treatment for cancer.
It is noteworthy that NASA technologies such as the Hubble Space Telescope help in the early detection of breast cancer.
The agency’s efforts come as part of a larger quest by US President Joe Biden’s administration to reduce cancer deaths by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.
Last year, Biden issued an executive order to support the biotechnology sector as part of his “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, named after former President John F. Kennedy’s lunar exploration program 60 years ago.
Biden is pressing for a government-backed effort to coordinate and fund the fight against cancer.