Precision Nanomedicine to Target the Most Challenging Tumors

ISS National Lab‑enabled research supports next‑generation chemotherapy and immunotherapy development

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Eascra Biotech is leveraging the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to advance the next generation of targeted cancer treatments through the development of Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs). JBNs are engineered from synthetic DNA-inspired molecules that self‑assemble into nanotubes that can be loaded with a therapeutic.

Previous research sponsored by the ISS National Lab demonstrated that JBNs manufactured in microgravity form more uniform and durable structures than those produced on Earth, resulting in improved therapeutic performance. Building on these findings, Eascra is now advancing two commercial cancer therapies: a JBN‑based chemotherapy and a JBN‑based immunotherapy.

Designed to precisely target solid tumors, JBNs enable direct drug delivery into some of the most difficult‑to‑treat cancers, including triple‑negative breast cancer, high‑grade ovarian cancer, and select bone cancers. By mimicking natural DNA, JBNs evade immune detection, allowing treatments to remain concentrated at tumor sites longer—potentially improving treatment effectiveness while reducing harmful side effects. JBNs are also stable at room temperature, so JBN-based therapeutics do not need to be refrigerated, making them much easier to ship and store.

"Microgravity research has given us a clearer path toward optimizing this technology for real‑world cancer treatment," said Mari Anne Snow, CEO and co-founder of Eascra Biotech. "These findings bring us closer to delivering more precise and effective therapies for patients with aggressive and drug‑resistant tumors."

The research is scheduled to launch no sooner than April 9, 2026, on NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission will carry more than 10 ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations to the ISS.

These projects span a wide range of scientific disciplines and could help improve heart disease modeling, enable real‑time environmental surveillance for land and water management, and advance understanding of microbial adaptation to extreme environments.

For more information about the research launching on this mission, visit the NG‑24 launch page at ISSNationalLab.org.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: Space‑Produced Nano‑Matrix

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab