Minneapolis-based Allina Health Cancer Institute is launching a first-of-its-kind clinical trial using artificial intelligence and a simple blood draw to find and diagnose cancer.
Using AI, researchers at the institute will create a 3D holographic image of the cells found in the blood draw, identify the cancer cells and separate them from healthy ones. The isolated cancer cells can then be characterized to study how they survive, spread and determine how to keep dormant cells from triggering new cancer, according to an Oct. 30 system news release.
"This could lead to earlier diagnosis and better understanding of the specific characteristics of the cancer cells, which means more precise treatment," Badrinath Konety, MD, president of Allina Health Cancer Institute and chief medical officer of Astrin Biosciences, said in the release.
The trial, in collaboration with St. Paul-based Astrin Biosciences, is recruiting 50 breast cancer patients.