Now Reading: Indian labs develop AI tool and targeted drug for cancer care
-
01
Indian labs develop AI tool and targeted drug for cancer care
Two studies by Indian research institutes under the Department of Science and Technology have introduced advances in cancer care: an artificial intelligence framework to detect rare cancer stem-like cells, and a small-molecule…
Two studies by Indian research institutes under the Department of Science and Technology have introduced advances in cancer care: an artificial intelligence framework to detect rare cancer stem-like cells, and a small-molecule drug that selectively releases compounds inside malignant cells, sparing healthy tissue.
The AI framework, named ACSCeND, was developed by Dr Shubhasis Haldar at SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences with Ashoka University. It identifies three states of cancer stem-like cells from bulk RNA sequencing data, which are often missed by standard methods. The tool was validated on more than 25,000 tumour samples and found that tumours rich in certain stem-like cells are linked to poorer survival and reduced immunotherapy response.
In a separate study, researchers led by Dr Asis Bala at IASST-Guwahati and Dr KP Bhabak at IIT-Guwahati created compound RK-251. It activates only inside cancer cells with high reactive oxygen species levels, releasing the anti-cancer compound NBDHEX. Lab tests showed effectiveness against triple-negative breast cancer cells with low toxicity to non-cancerous cells, and zebrafish embryo tests indicated no observable toxicity.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Cancer stem-like cells are a known driver of relapse and metastasis, making early detection critical for improving long-term survival. ACSCeND's ability to work on bulk sequencing data means existing patient samples from hospitals and biobanks can be reanalysed without expensive single-cell infrastructure. This could help clinicians identify high-risk patients earlier. For RK-251, the ROS-dependent release mechanism addresses a long-standing challenge of chemotherapy side effects. Both technologies are at the preclinical or computational validation stage, the next step is animal model testing and, for ACSCeND, clinical deployment in diagnostics. Watch for human trials or licensing agreements in the next two to three years.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
