The International Space Station could be used to develop pharmaceutical products, including treatments for muscular dystrophy. The multilateral coordination board for International Space Station partner agencies has discussed the use of the facility as a potential test bed for future technologies. Some of the technologies included biotechnological research, such as the analysis of high-quality protein crystals created on the station that could be used to treat muscular dystrophy.
Further research carried about onboard the station concluded that the low-dose isonising radiation encountered in orbit degrades medications, meaning that further development of space-ready medications will be needed for continued human spaceflight beyond Earth’s orbit.
