Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC are receiving up to $6.8 million for a two-year research project to develop new computational models and support tools that could accelerate access to cell and gene therapies for children with rare diseases. The team will develop a new framework that combines detailed data about the biological features of each therapy and how patients respond to them. By using artificial intelligence (AI) to study these connections, the project aims to better understand how specific features of a therapy relate to patient outcomes. The research is funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) UNIfying Cell Therapy Outcome prediction and Regulatory Navigation (UNICORN) project, led by ARPA-H Program Manager Daria Fedyukina, Ph.D. UNICORN combines advanced cell analysis technology developed by the team with machine learning tools to identify biological patterns and therapy product features linked to treatment response. This approach aims to enable the development of a regulatory decision-support tool that guides interpretation of product-related evidence when limited data makes conventional measures difficult to establish, enabling patients and families to access new treatments sooner.

A team from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has discovered a novel way in which tumor cells alter the brain to establish themselves and spread cancer. They also demonstrate that a drug that prevents this process already exists and is approved for other indications. The finding is published in the journal ‘Cancer Research’.

The chances of breast cancer recurring remain very low when patients are treated with radiotherapy that is tailored to their individual risk following chemotherapy and surgery. These are the findings of a ten-year study presented at the 15^th European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona.

Researchers developed a web-based intervention to educate people with cancer about the impact genetic variants can have on their family. It includes education and decision support to help patients feel comfortable communicating genetic testing information to their relatives. The platform also allows patients to invite first- and second-degree relatives to the site. Relatives get information about genetic risk, tools to help them decide if they want to receive genetic testing and access to testing.