UC San Diego has received a $23.6 million ARPA-H grant to develop AI-driven digital twin technologies for precision oncology, aiming to personalize cancer therapies in real time.
The project, titled 'Dynamic Digital Tumors for Precision Oncology,' focuses on creating digital models ('digital tumors') to simulate individual cancer biology, guiding more effective treatment decisions.
By utilizing Drug Recommender Engines (DREs) that analyze biological data continuously, the initiative aims to predict tumor adaptation mechanisms and suggest tailored therapeutic regimens.
Professor Trey Ideker leads the multidisciplinary research at UC San Diego to revolutionize cancer diagnostics and therapeutics through AI-powered predictive tools for clinicians.
The collaboration involves leading institutions and biotech innovators to validate and deploy digital tumor platforms, integrating genomics, machine learning, and clinical oncology research.
The broader ARPA-H ADAPT program supports personalized and adaptive cancer care, emphasizing dynamic, patient-specific interventions over conventional static therapeutic approaches.
The integration of digital tumor models into clinical workflows is expected to reduce therapeutic misalignments and enhance cure rates for advanced cancers, aligning with precision medicine goals.
These adaptive systems learn from expanding cancer case data streams to improve predictive accuracy over time, crucial in addressing emerging resistance mutations and biological dynamics.
UC San Diego's initiative holds promise in expediting drug development, informing combination therapies, and personalizing precision clinical trials based on dynamic tumor model insights.
Overall, the project signifies a significant advancement in utilizing AI-driven technology for personalized cancer therapy, offering biologically informed treatment recommendations to improve patient outcomes.
Through the development of adaptive digital tumor frameworks, UC San Diego aims to enhance survival rates and quality of life for patients grappling with advanced malignancies.