inside the Airbus Zerogravity

The use of microgravity research in the fight against cancer

The CNES (french space agency) completed its 22nd campaign of parabolic flights during which 15 physics and life science experiments were conducted.
These experiments were held on board the largest zerogravity plane, an Airbus A300 specially modified by the CNES for this purpose.

Mauricio Hoyos, research scientist at the CNRS and Pascal Kurowski, research scientist and professor at the ESPCI *, conducted during these flights an experiment on fluids that could lead to biomedical applications in particular in the fight against cancer.
These experiments were conducted in zero gravity conditions where lift forces on fluids do not exist. Weightless conditions allow the study of movements of fluids in optimal conditions which are impossible to recreate in a laboratory.

Mauricio Hoyos and Pascal Kurowski 's work particulary concentrates on separation of fluids (the so called "split " technique) using particles whose size (several microns) is very close to that of blood compounds (red blood cells, white blood cells).

These experiments could allow the elimination of toxic products from blood (the hemodialisis), or the recovery of proteins from blood plasma.
The laboratory at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Ohio) participates in these experiments specifically those involving separation of blood parts.
The technique on which Mauricio Hoyos and Pascal Kurowski are working allows the recovery of nearly all the cells injected into a separator and the purification of many samples.
One of the applications could involve the recovery of a large proportion of blood parts from a patient undergoing chemoterapy. This would allow his immune system to recover without the need for a bone marrow transplant. The same technique will soon be used with a magnetic field which will isolate sick cells from healthy cells.

virtual tour of the zerogravity airbus A-300 : here

Related web sites : cnes - cnrs - espci - novespace