The primary risk factor limiting the amount of time an astronaut can spend in flight is the risk of cancer induction resulting from the unique radiations inherent to the deep space environment. One…

This federal contract award to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) is a $2,461,498.00 grant for research sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The purpose is to evaluate the efficacy of the drug GC4419, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, in mitigating space radiation-induced carcinogenesis, with a focus on lung cancer. This research aims to identify effective biological countermeasures that can increase the amount of time astronauts can safely spend in space by reducing the cancer risk from space radiation exposure. The contract has no set-aside designation. UT Southwestern is the prime recipient, and the University of Texas System is the parent organization. This award builds on UT Southwestern's prior federally-funded research and clinical experience, including work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense.

The primary risk factor limiting the amount of time an astronaut can spend in flight is the risk of cancer induction resulting from the unique radiations inherent to the deep space environment. One strategy for mitigating radiation induced carcinogenesis is to provide biological countermeasures that mitigate radiation injury and cancer induction. To date the only FDA approved radioprotector is the free radical scavenger, amifostine; however concerns about toxicity and reports of severe anaphylactic reactions to this drug prevent its use in spaceflight. Therefore, there is a need to determine and validate appropriate biological countermeasures to mitigate space radiation carcinogenesis, thereby increasing the amount of time astronauts can safely spend in space. In the proposed studies we will evaluate the radio protective potential of GC4419, a novel superoxide dismutase mimetic developed by galera theraputics (ST. Louis, MO), in mitigating space radiation carcinogenesis. Due to its efficacy in phase 1 clinical trials and pre-clinical data generated by our group, GC4419 is currently being fast tracked into FDA phase II, human clinical trials as a radioprotector for patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Not only does GC4419 reduce the frequency of radiation induced adverse effects, pre-clinical data suggest IT has potent anti-carcinogenic and anti-tumor effects as well. Therefore, GC4419 represents a safe, clinically tested countermeasure to reduce radiation injury. In the proposed studies, we will evaluate the efficacy of GC4419 in preventing space radiation induced carcinogenesis focusing specifically on the lung as a primary tumor site.