The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Centre at the University of Miami, in partnership with researchers from various countries, has recently published a research paper detailing a highly intricate AI algorithm. This algorithm is capable of performing comprehensive computational analyses and identifying possible treatments for patients with Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other cancers. GBM, a highly aggressive type of central nervous system tumor, has a unique appearance that distinguishes it from regular cells and can lead to death in nearly 90% of patients diagnosed with the disease.
The researchers utilized an AI method known as Substrate Phosphosite-based Inference for the Network of KinaseS (SPINKS) to identify two protein kinases that are linked to tumour development in two GBM subtypes and other types of cancer. These protein kinases are crucial targets in precision cancer medication as they help to assess a patient’s cancer characteristics. The study reveals that SPINKS could revolutionize the way glioblastoma patients are managed by providing doctors with a new tool to fight this deadly disease and other types of cancer.
The SPINKS research team utilized a range of “omics” platforms, including genes, proteins, fat molecules, epigenetics, and metabolites, to confirm the previous glioblastoma categorization study. Using these omic datasets, SPINKS creates an interactome, which is a collection of biological interactions that helps identify the kinases that drive treatment resistance in each glioblastoma subtype.
The research team is confident that SPINKS can be easily integrated into molecular pathology labs. By using a clinical classifier, the proper subtype of glioblastoma for each patient can be identified, benefiting three-quarters of glioblastoma patients, according to the researchers. Although SPINKS was developed primarily for glioblastoma, the AI algorithm can also be useful for treating other types of cancer, including breast, lung, and child brain tumors.
The classifications offered by SPINKS are critical for immediate patient care, according to co-senior author Anna Lasorella, MD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer. The same kinases that cause cancer in glioblastoma were also discovered in breast, lung, and child brain tumors. The research findings from SPINKS could lead to a fresh clinical trial, according to Iavarone and his team.
