AI May Soon Replace Mice Models in Brain Cancer Research
Studying tumor growth and treatment is a crucial part of cancer research because it aids in the development of more effective treatments. Despite decades of research, however, drug identification for the treatment of brain cancer is still slow. This is mainly due to the lack of better models for research. This may soon change after Uppsala University researchers used artificial intelligence (“AI”) to develop a new technique to study brain cancer.
The technique is based on the transplantation of tumor cells to zebrafish embryos, which are then observed using AI. This technique can partially replace the mouse models that are currently being used to study the growth of tumors and tumor treatments. The use of mouse models is often costly, time consuming and difficult. This is in addition to not allowing the observation of the growth of tumors in living tissue, which is why it’s crucial to find alternative methods.
To assess the effectiveness of their method, the researchers used cancer cells from 11 patients with glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer that occurs in the spinal cord or the brain. The researchers discovered that cells from different patients had different responses to drugs, different patterns of growth and different survival rates after they were transplanted to the zebrafish embryos.
Emil Rosén, one of the study’s main authors, stated that cells were transplanted into fish embryos and monitored for four days using their model, noting that during this period, they were filmed by an automatic microscope. He added that the film was then analyzed using artificial intelligence, which was a powerful tool that measured tumor growth and would help determine the effects of different medications.
Sven Nelander, the lead author of the study, observed that the cells that did not grow in zebrafish did not grow in mice models either. He explained that their technique could help forecast how cells would function in mouse models, which could reduce the number of mice that were being used in other studies. He added that the group had successfully demonstrated that their technique could be used to understand cancer metastasis and test medications, which made it a promising alternative for some mice experiments. Cancer metastasis refers to the spread of cancer cells from the region or organ in the body where they first formed to other parts of the body to form new tumors.
Other researchers involved in the study include Cecilia Krona, Katarzyna Koltowska, Neda Hekmati, Rebecka Stockgard, Marleen Gloger and Elin Almstedt. The study was published in the “Neuro-Oncology” scientific journal. It is beneficial that new approaches to conducting studies are coming up. Such novel techniques improve the odds that entities such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) will move faster and more affordably in their quest for better brain cancer treatments.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Studying tumor growth and treatment is a crucial part of cancer research because it aids in the development of more effective treatments. Despite decades of research, however, drug identification for the treatment of brain cancer is still slow. This is mainly due to the lack of better models for research. This may soon change after Uppsala University researchers used artificial intelligence (“AI”) to develop a new technique to study brain cancer.
The technique is based on the transplantation of tumor cells to zebrafish embryos, which are then observed using AI. This technique can partially replace the mouse models that are currently being used to study the growth of tumors and tumor treatments. The use of mouse models is often costly, time consuming and difficult. This is in addition to not allowing the observation of the growth of tumors in living tissue, which is why it’s crucial to find alternative methods.
To assess the effectiveness of their method, the researchers used cancer cells from 11 patients with glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer that occurs in the spinal cord or the brain. The researchers discovered that cells from different patients had different responses to drugs, different patterns of growth and different survival rates after they were transplanted to the zebrafish embryos.
Emil Rosén, one of the study’s main authors, stated that cells were transplanted into fish embryos and monitored for four days using their model, noting that during this period, they were filmed by an automatic microscope. He added that the film was then analyzed using artificial intelligence, which was a powerful tool that measured tumor growth and would help determine the effects of different medications.
Sven Nelander, the lead author of the study, observed that the cells that did not grow in zebrafish did not grow in mice models either. He explained that their technique could help forecast how cells would function in mouse models, which could reduce the number of mice that were being used in other studies. He added that the group had successfully demonstrated that their technique could be used to understand cancer metastasis and test medications, which made it a promising alternative for some mice experiments. Cancer metastasis refers to the spread of cancer cells from the region or organ in the body where they first formed to other parts of the body to form new tumors.
Other researchers involved in the study include Cecilia Krona, Katarzyna Koltowska, Neda Hekmati, Rebecka Stockgard, Marleen Gloger and Elin Almstedt. The study was published in the “Neuro-Oncology” scientific journal. It is beneficial that new approaches to conducting studies are coming up. Such novel techniques improve the odds that entities such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) will move faster and more affordably in their quest for better brain cancer treatments.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
