Research and development are the holy grail of many countries and one of the key strategic objectives of the European Union. The term ‘research’ has many interpretations and often suffers from misconceptions. With limited financial and human resources, we must focus on the kind of research likely to benefit society.
Aerospace research, for instance, has a long history of developing technologies with industry-changing applications, and recent history is no exception. The expansion of commercial spaceflights and the upcoming exploration-class missions to the moon and Mars are expected to accelerate this process even more.
The medical industry has been one of the primary beneficiaries of space research spinoffs for several decades. It is encouraging that a Maltese research group has discovered that human blood in space reverses to its foetal type, potentially leading to breakthroughs for the treatment of thalassemia.
Joseph Borg, a researcher from the University of Malta’s Faculty of Health Sciences, worked with other giants in the academic field and used the space environment to complete another piece of the puzzle that, when resolved, could lead to a breakthrough in thalassemia treatment.
This approach confirms that the best results in research can be achieved when academics worldwide join forces to focus on groundbreaking discoveries that can potentially resolve some of the worst medical challenges facing humanity.
Space medical research has led to various portable, wearable, contactless and regenerable medical technologies that are the future of healthcare in deep space and healthcare here on earth.
In the past few decades, space medical research has resulted in spinoffs on multidimensional and integrative technologies that are non-invasive, easily deployable, low-footprint devices that can facilitate rapid decision-making, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of various conditions and provide decision-making and performance support.
The implications of these breakthroughs are indeed encouraging. The spinoffs of space medical research can be used for application in low-resource environments, facilitating the extension of quality delivery to all patients in communities and empowering non-specialists to intervene early and safely to optimise patient-centred outcomes.
When medical researchers worldwide join forces to use the space station to address complex human health problems on earth, the cost-benefit of investment in research becomes more evident.
In their Airway Monitoring study, the European Space Agency, (ESA) researchers, for instance, are developing an instrument that measures exhaled air for nitric oxide in experiments aboard the International Space Station.
Some clinics and hospitals already use this device as a quick, low-cost tool to help diagnose inflamed lungs and asthma, which is so prevalent in Malta. Testing the technique in space adds data for improving its use on earth.
Researchers are motivated by the ambition of discovering something that will be a game-changer in addressing various community challenges. ESA astronaut Alex Gerst, who participated in the Airway Monitoring investigations, says: “One group of experiments that I enjoy most are those where we investigate our human systems to help people with illnesses on earth. It is another example of how we need to fly to space to help people down here.”
Increasingly, researchers from small and large companies, educational institutions, government agencies and other organisations are leveraging the spinoffs of their research to address complex human health issues on Earth.
While our educational system still struggles to achieve adequate performance standards, there are islands of academic excellence that must be nurtured to continue producing quality research that will, hopefully, lead to breakthroughs that affect people’s lives positively.