Mice Sent to Space on SpaceX Rocket as Part of Oculogenex Gene Therapy Study

Today’s scheduled launch of NASA’s SpaceX CRS-30 mission will carry more than 40 science payloads to the International Space Station for a new round of microgravity research. SpaceX CRS-30 is scheduled to launch today at 4:55 ET. 

The mission will include Oculogenex, the maker of an investigational gene therapy is being studied to treat dry AMD, with potential applications in other degenerative retinal diseases. Preclinical research shows the therapy, which would be delivered as a one-time intraocular injection, makes retinal cells more resistant to oxidative stress, helps cells improve mitochondrial function, and increases their lifespan.

Forty mice are being launched on the SpaceX rocket today from the Kennedy Space Station in Florida. The mice will travel to the International Space station, where they will spend 28 days. Retinal photographs, scans, and electrical measurements of the mice will be analyzed, and then compared with 40 mice who did not travel to space. The mission marks the first time an investigational ophthalmic therapy was ever sent to space with live animals.

Hema Ramkumar, MD, a retinal specialist practicing in Orange County, California, along with her father Ram Ramkumar, an aerospace engineer, founded Oculogenex.

To view EyewireTV's coverage of the launch, which includes an interview with Dr. Ramkumar, click here.