-Omics Data Packages

Overview

For deeper mechanistic insights, SPARK Microgravity can integrate -omics analyses into your microgravity study. Our -omics data packages (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, or metabolomics) examine how the spaceflight environment influences molecular profiles. After the completion of an experiment on the ISS, we either preserve samples in-flight or immediately upon return and process them following strict GCP/GLP-compliant protocols. Whether it’s RNA sequencing to spot gene expression changes or proteomic profiling to see pathway activation, these datasets can identify biomarkers and targets affected by microgravity. Such knowledge is invaluable for understanding drug mechanisms or stress responses. For instance, highlighting pathways that are up- or down-regulated when cancer cells grow in microgravity. All -omics results are delivered with rigorous bioinformatic analysis and can be correlated with phenotypic outcomes for a comprehensive insight.

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The -omics data packages illuminate the molecular story behind efficacy or failure, which is ultimately why drugs succeed or fail in patients.

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Questions to ask if you need this

• Do you find yourself asking “why did this result happen?” in your current studies? If mechanistic questions are emerging (e.g., resistance mechanisms, unexpected drug synergies), then an -omics approach can provide the answers.

• Are you developing a therapy with a specific molecular target or pathway? If yes, you’ll likely need to prove target engagement or pathway modulation – our data can confirm whether your drug is doing what it’s supposed to inside 3D tumor cells.

• Do you have the capacity to analyze large datasets? Our service provides the data and initial analysis, but consider your team’s bioinformatics strength. If you need support, we can help interpret results, but you should be prepared to integrate genomic insights into your R&D workflow.

• Will biomarkers or patient selection be important for your drug’s success? If your answer is even possibly yes, getting -omics data early can set you on the right course. It’s easier to design trials with a biomarker in mind from the start. Think about whether you want to invest now in discovering those markers (much cheaper in the lab phase) rather than in the clinic when a trial is on the line.

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Value Proposition

The -omics service helps you if your drug worked and why and how to make it better.

The -omics service delivers actionable insights that go far beyond a typical assay. It’s about turning data into knowledge: you don’t just learn if your drug worked, you learn why and how to make it better. By revealing the molecular underpinnings of tumor response, you gain a competitive edge – proprietary knowledge of pathways and biomarkers that others might miss. It also provides a form of risk insurance: with comprehensive data in hand, you can justify decisions to halt a program or advance it with confidence, backed by evidence that resonates with scientific and financial stakeholders. In short, you get a 360° view of your therapeutic’s impact, which is invaluable in making informed, successful development decisions.

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Scientific Discovery

One of the most powerful aspects of microgravity experimentation is the ability to profile tumors at the molecular level – genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics – to see how and why they behave differently in orbit.

Early studies have made striking discoveries through such -omics analyses. For instance, a 2024 study on colorectal cancer organoids found that microgravity induced significant changes in gene expression: it dysregulated an entire family of genes (TBC1D3) and upregulated cell-cycle processes, correlating with the organoids’ faster growth and heightened sensitivity to chemotherapy¹. This same study’s drug screen showed an enhanced response to 5-FU (a common chemo drug) under microgravity – a clue that gravity affects drug potency at the molecular level².

On the epigenetic front, researchers observed that in microgravity some tumor cells essentially “reprogram” themselves.

In one organoid line, key histone genes and modifiers were almost completely silenced in orbit³. Such a dramatic loss of certain histone gene expression (coupled with downregulation of chromatin regulators KMT2C/D/E) suggests that weightlessness alters chromatin structure and gene regulation in ways not seen at 1g. These discoveries are only possible by taking a deep -omics dive. By comparing microgravity vs. Earth samples, scientists have also identified activation of stress pathways and DNA repair mechanisms unique to microgravity exposure.

In some cases, the molecular subtype of a tumor appears to shift in orbit.

For example, a tumor organoid might express different markers and fall into a different transcriptomic category under microgravity⁴, indicating a change in its biology. Perhaps towards a more aggressive or more drug-sensitive state. All of this rich information comes from -omics data.

In summary, systematically analyzing gene and protein changes has revealed why microgravity-grown tumors often show different growth or drug responses. It unearths new mechanisms (like altered apoptosis signaling or cytoskeletal gene changes) and highlights potential therapeutic targets. For example, if microgravity makes the tumor heavily rely on a certain survival pathway, that pathway could be a drug target on Earth. Each genomic or proteomic discovery adds to our understanding of cancer’s “gravity context,” and guides developers in crafting better strategies, such as combination therapies to exploit microgravity-vulnerable pathways.

Who It’s For

• Targeted Therapy Developers & Mechanistic Teams: If your goal is to understand a drug’s mechanism of action or a tumor’s resistance pathways, our -omics package is invaluable. Pharmaceutical R&D groups working on targeted inhibitors, for instance, can use it to confirm that their drug actually hits the intended pathway in a 3D microgravity-grown tumor (e.g., see if gene signatures of that pathway go down). At the lead optimization or preclinical stage, this data helps validate targets and can reveal off-target effects early.

• Biomarker Discovery and Precision Oncology Units: Companies and researchers aiming to find predictive biomarkers for drug response will benefit from the comprehensive datasets. By examining which genes or proteins change in a responder vs. non-responder organoid under microgravity treatment, you can identify molecular markers that correlate with efficacy. These markers could later guide patient selection in trials. Why: Microgravity tends to accentuate true drug effects⁵, so the molecular signals you detect are strong clues to what will happen in vivo – a goldmine for biomarker development.

• Academic Researchers in Cancer Genomics/Proteomics: For scientists probing fundamental cancer biology, having access to transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of microgravity-exposed tumors is a treasure trove. It allows discovery of novel genes influenced by physical forces. Whether you’re studying metastasis, metabolism, or cell cycle control, the data can uncover gravity-sensitive regulators. Such insights can lead to high-impact publications and new hypotheses (for example, identifying a microgravity-induced gene that, if blocked, kills cancer in Earth gravity too).

• Drug Development Teams Facing Puzzling Results: If you have a drug candidate with unexplained behavior (say it works in some models but not others), -omics can help diagnose the issue. This service is for those who need to know why – why did the tumor stop responding? why did a certain combination work synergistically? By looking at gene expression and signaling networks, you might find that in microgravity the tumor activated a backup survival circuit, informing you to add a second drug to shut that down. In short, anyone who needs a detailed molecular fingerprint of the tumor’s state – be it for refining a drug, discovering new targets, or understanding biology – should consider the -omics data package.

In Vivo Like Data To Expect

The -omics outputs from microgravity-cultured tumors closely resemble what we get from actual patient tumor analyses. You can expect data sets such as RNA sequencing results, proteomic profiles, or even metabolomic readouts that capture the tumor’s internal state. What makes it “in vivo-like” is the complexity and relevance of the patterns.

For example, you may find that the gene expression profile of a microgravity-grown organoid aligns with a known clinical subtype of that cancer. In one study, researchers noted a shift in the consensus molecular subtype (CMS) of a colorectal tumor organoid under microgravity⁶ meaning the gravity-free environment pushed the organoid’s gene profile closer to what’s seen in aggressive tumors in patients. These kinds of comprehensive data tell you not just one or two markers, but thousands of genes and how their expression interrelates.

You’ll see pathway enrichment analyses: data might show that G2M cell-cycle checkpoints and mitotic pathways are significantly enriched under microgravity (which was reported in the colorectal organoids study)⁷, much like rapidly proliferating tumors in patients. If your drug was applied, you’ll get a read on how the tumor’s biology reacted – did it upregulate stress genes? induce apoptosis genes?

Such multi-dimensional data is analogous to taking a biopsy from a patient’s tumor before and after treatment and doing whole-genome profiling. Additionally, the noise and variability in these data reflect real-world biology: microgravity organoids have heterogeneous cell populations (like real tumors), so your -omics data will show a mixture of signals from perhaps cancer stem-like cells vs. differentiated cells, etc., rather than the overly uniform (and less clinically relevant) signals from 2D cell lines.

In practical terms, expect to receive a detailed report listing significantly changed genes, key pathways activated or suppressed, heatmaps comparing conditions, and possibly correlations to known databases . For instance, matching the organoid’s gene signature to thousands of patient samples to see what it most closely resembles. This can mirror an in vivo scenario where you’d do genomic profiling to guide therapy, except here you’re doing it in a preclinical experiment, saving time and guiding decisions before you ever go to trial.

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Why It Matters

Harnessing -omics data in microgravity matters on multiple levels.

‍Firstly, it de-risks development.

By understanding the full molecular impact of a drug, companies can avoid late-stage failures. For example, if -omics data reveals your drug isn’t hitting its target pathway (or the tumor is compensating by activating an alternative pathway), you can course-correct early – perhaps by modifying the drug, adjusting the dose, or adding a combo agent. This can save enormous costs and time that would have been spent on a likely-failing strategy.

‍Secondly, it enables precision medicine.

‍The dream of giving the right drug to the right patient hinges on knowing molecular markers of response. Microgravity -omics can identify those markers under highly realistic conditions. This means when your drug moves to clinical trials, you could include a companion diagnostic (based on a gene signature, for instance) to select patients who are most likely to respond, improving trial success rates.

‍Thirdly, it drives scientific innovation.

‍The data generated can lead to new hypotheses and spin-off projects. Discovering that, say, microgravity suppresses a tumor’s DNA repair genes might suggest a vulnerability – perhaps on Earth, combining a DNA-damaging agent with a microgravity-mimicking inhibitor could be a novel therapy. In essence, you might find entirely new ways to kill cancer by studying how gravity absence stresses the cells. Many researchers view microgravity as a “black box” that, when opened with -omics, could reveal fundamental truths about cancer biology.

‍Lastly, it provides credibility and proof.

‍In the eyes of investors, partners, or regulatory agencies, having hard data on mechanisms can be very persuasive. Rather than just saying “our drug shrank an organoid,” you can show how it reprogrammed the tumor’s gene expression. For example, “it downregulated these oncogenes and activated immune pathways”. This level of detail demonstrates a deep understanding of your product and can expedite discussions with the FDA or grant funders by answering questions proactively. Overall, -omics data packages ensure you’re not operating in the dark. The -omics data packages illuminate the molecular story behind efficacy or failure, which is ultimately why drugs succeed or fail in patients.