IBM's Watson for Genomics platform helps to accelerate the process for interpreting genetic data, according to a proof-of-concept study published in Neurology: Genetics.
Researchers from New York (N.Y.) Genome Center — Kazimierz Wrzeszczynski, PhD, a bioinformatics scientist and Mayu Frank, a clinical research consultant — led the study with Takahiko Koyama, PhD, a research staff member at Yorktown Heights, N.Y.-based IBM. The researchers used IBM Watson Genomic Analytics, a machine learning system that prioritizes somatic variants and identifies drug treatments, to process genomic data.
The researchers used both IBM Watson Genomic Analytics — a beta version of Watson for Genomics — and a team of bioinformaticians and cancer oncologists separately analyze whole-genome sequencing and tumor RNA sequencing data. The researchers determined IBM Watson for Genomics interprets genetic data in just 10 minutes, though the task takes human experts nearly 160 hours
This method may address a "key bottleneck in cancer genomics" by helping clinicians pinpoint potential targets and therapies efficiently, according to the study authors.
More articles on health IT:
House committee advances bill to extend deadlines on federal IT modernization
Microsoft post $90B revenue for FY17: 5 things to know
Large senior living facilities adopting EHRs faster than other long-term, post-acute care facilities