Amid news that UK hospitals will use AI-assisted endoscopy in the early detection of bowel cancer, the UK government has announced new funding for a Raman spectroscopy/AI technique that could improve the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow have received £1.1m to support the development of the new technology in a two-year project, called ‘High resolution molecular profiling platform to investigate the role of tumour microbiota in anti-tumour immunity’.
The project is one of 36 which will share in £32.4m of new funding from the first round of UKRI’s new cross research council responsive mode pilot (CRCRM) scheme, designed to stimulate new interdisciplinary research.
Raman spectroscopy and AI analysis
Together with colleagues from the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, the National Physical Laboratory and the University of Oxford, the Glasgow team will work to source new insights into the microbiota of ovarian cancer – the most lethal and difficult-to-treat form of gynaecological disease in the developed world.
A growing body of research suggests that how cancers develop and respond to treatments like immunotherapy is linked to each patient’s unique tumour microenvironment – the complex array of human biological processes which surround the tumour and affect its behaviour.
An improved understanding of the roles that the tumour microenvironment plays in cancer pathology and response to therapies could help provide improved early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and support the development of more precisely-targeted and effective immunotherapies to treat the disease.
The project will use Raman spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques, combined with AI-driven image analysis and bioinformatics tools, to map the complex biological processes in clinical tissue samples which drive the development of cancer. The researchers will also develop new microfluidic methods to enable in-depth scrutiny of cancer genetics.
While Raman spectroscopy offers high spatial resolution, it traditionally lacks molecular specificity, Professor Huabing Yin, who leads the project, told Electro Optics. “The technology to be developed will offer both spatial resolution and specificity needed to investigate the interactions between tumour microbiota and the host,” she said. “These advancements will facilitate the development of rapid diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer, potentially leading to more effective therapies.”
The research will provide the team with an unprecedented-detailed overview of the cancer cell’s biology, supported by detailed molecular information.
UKRI also announced a second round of funding on 2 September with a further £32.5 million available.
High cost of Raman spectrometers a challenge
While Raman spectroscopy holds much promise in medical diagnostics, the high costs associated with current Raman spectrometers that offer both adequate spatial and spectral resolution limits the technique’s application in clinical settings, Yin said.
“Future advancement in laser and camera technologies could lead to more compact and affordable systems, paving the way for broader clinical implementation,” she said.
While the two-year project will concentrate on developing the method, and not the creation of a clinical prototype, the research could see the technology being applied to other medical applications, Yin added.
“Although we’re focusing specifically on ovarian cancer in this study, the results could be adapted to help support understanding of the microbiota of other types of cancer, or even other biological studies of other unrelated tissues,” she said.
Credit for main image: SB Arts Media/Shutterstock
