Catching up with EVO-NANO: AI platform to provide tailor-made cancer therapy
The computational platform built by the EU-funded EVO-NANO (Evolvable platform for programmable nanoparticle-based cancer therapies) project includes a machine learning engine that automatically optimises the design of nanoparticles for cancer treatment. Nanoparticles hold promise for cancer research because they make diagnosis more accurate. What is more, they can be used to deliver drugs to cancer cells. “The simulations enable us to very rapidly test many treatments and for a large variety of tumours,” comments project coordinator Dr Igor Balaz of the University of Novi Sad in Serbia. “Unlike other AI solutions, we can provide an explanation as to why we see the observed effect.” Following initial development, the EVO-NANO team set its sights on standardising the platform. At first, it was solely intended for nanoparticles, but now it can simulate the effect of any chemical entity on a tumour. “It makes the platform more powerful, and opens a lot of opportunities for commercial applications,” states Dr Balaz. “After having extensive talks with several pharma companies and hospitals, we realised that the best way forward was to focus on the use of our platform for clinical trial optimisations.” The ultimate goal is to use the platform in personalised medicine. Dr Balaz envisions the creation of a simulation platform for doctors to quickly and reliably assess the effectiveness of drug treatment for individual cancer patients by using high-quality evidence. He further explains: “As a result, doctors will be able to recommend not only what drug might work for a patient group, but also exactly what drug would work for that patient at what time, in what sequence and in what dose – really tailored to each patient.” EU funding was essential not only for creating the initial platform but also for the extensive experimental validation of its simulation results. “The experimental validation really gave us a nice starting point in devising a commercial product,” concludes Dr Balaz. “This would not be possible without the EU’s contribution.” As a continuation to EVO-NANO, Dr Balaz is part of a consortium preparing a proposal for the European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition scheme that takes breakthrough technologies from the lab to the market. To learn more about tech transfer and entrepreneurship, they have attended several trainings and bootcamps organised by the EIC.
Keywords
EVO-NANO, cancer, nanoparticle, tumour, drug, patient, doctor, treatment, AI platform