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• Digital twins are computer models of women with breast, lung, or colon cancer participating in the study. They are built from a vast bank of patient biomedical and behavioural data and apply artificial intelligence.
• These models will help “to predict the course of the disease of future patients and to evaluate in a personalised way the effectiveness of treatments,” says National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) researcher Miguel Quintela.
• It is one of Spain’s biggest personalised medicine projects, led by CNIO in partnership with research centres, hospitals and universities, and the CRIS Cancer Foundation. It has received 2.5 million euros of public funding.
The recruitment of advanced cancer patients to participate in the High-definition oncology in women’s cancer project has already begun. It aims to engage around 300 participants from all over Spain. The objective is to develop digital twins of these patients, that is, computational models built in their image and likeness.
These simulations will help women with cancer in the future to have predictive models that could anticipate the course of their disease, evaluate which treatments are most likely to work, and even guide the patient’s habits in ways that reinforce their therapy.
It is one of the most ambitious personalised medicine projects in Spain, led by the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) in partnership with nine hospitals, two universities and the CRIS Cancer Foundation. It has 2.5 million euros in funding for the next three years, awarded through the competitive call for Personalised Precision Medicine Research Projects 2022, launched by the Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII).
An altruistic gesture
It is important to clarify that the participating patients will not vary their current treatments based on the results of the study, but they will contribute in a very valuable way so that future patients can benefit from these predictive models, these digital twins.
Who can participate and how
Participants should be adult women with a confirmed diagnosis of a solid cancer tumour requiring first-line treatment, and who have not received prior treatment for metastases. Among other requirements, their cancer must be in the advanced stages of the tumour without the possibility of curative treatment.
A universe of personal data and artificial intelligence to interpret them
The study requires artificial intelligence to gather and analyse patient data to better understand the causes of their disease and how it develops, as well as to design strategies to improve tumour monitoring and treatment.
To obtain the necessary data in the coming months, participants will be monitored remotely. Wearable body devices such as digital bracelets will be used to record pulse, blood oxygen concentration and physical activity, among other variables. Their digital footprint will also be taken into account: activity on social media and mobile use in general, as well as emotions and statements on their quality of life.
In addition, detailed analysis of genes (genomics), proteins (proteomics), metabolic activity, microbiome, plus clinical history data will be incorporated into the models.
In short, it is about understanding patients “as a multidimensional system,” says Quintela.
Participating institutions
The ‘Digital twins’ project is led by the CNIO, partnering with: Hospital La Princesa; Hospital de Fuenlabrada; Hospital Clínico de Valencia; Hospital Son Espases; ICO Bellvitge; Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra; Hospital Virgen de la Macarena; Hospital San Pedro de Cáceres; Complejo Hospitalario A Coruña; Universidad Carlos III; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; and the CRIS Cancer Foundation.