Understanding cancer isn’t just about studying humans – it’s a problem that spans across many species.
In a groundbreaking study led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, scientists used artificial intelligence (AI) to study cancer in various animals, with the hope that this could lead to better understanding and treatment of cancer in humans. T
he study’s findings were published in Nature Communications.
Understanding Cancer in All Species
Cancer isn’t a disease that just affects humans. It also impacts many non-human species. This broader look at cancer across species is known as comparative oncology.
The idea is that if we can understand how cancer affects different animals and how these animals fight it off, we can get clues on how to treat cancer in humans better.
Some species are particularly good at stopping cancer, and understanding why could help us humans fight the disease.
Using AI to Understand Animal Cancer
The scientists involved in the study used an AI algorithm. They trained this computer program using human lung cancer samples and then used it to analyze 120 tumor samples from 20 different animal species.
These samples were taken from various places, including the Zoological Society of London, The University of Cambridge, The University of Turin in Italy, and The University of Queensland in Australia.
AI Performance in Detecting Cancer
The results were promising. The AI could accurately identify cancer cells in different animals.
For example, the algorithm had a 94% accuracy rate for a specific dog tumor and an 88% accuracy rate for a facial tumor disease in Tasmanian devils. The AI could identify these cancers because they look similar to human lung cancer.
Studying Animals to Help Humans
Understanding cancer in animals could have a significant impact on human health.
Not only could it provide insights into how cancer develops and changes over time, but it could also help researchers pick the best animal models for studying human diseases and testing new drugs.
The researchers plan to use the algorithm to study more species in the future.
The Impact of This Study
The results of this study could be a game-changer. Dr. Khalid Abdul Jabbar, one of the study’s leads, said, “We hope that our model will be used to identify other such similarities and differences across species to help address fundamental questions in cancer biology, improving our understanding of how cancer develops and evolves.”
A ‘One Health’ Approach to Cancer
Professor Yinyin Yuan, Director of the Computational Pathology Research Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, U.S., highlighted the study’s importance in a ‘One Health’ approach.
“The health of humans, non-human animals, and our shared environment are closely intertwined. Our study helps to bridge the gap between human clinical care and wildlife care, shifting our thinking of healthcare to encompass all species.
This could not only provide answers to key evolutionary questions, such as why some species have higher rates of cancer than others but also has significant implications for advancing human health care, animal welfare, and wildlife conservation.”
In conclusion, this study highlights how interconnected the health of all living beings is, and that by understanding cancer in animals, we can potentially improve cancer treatments for humans.
The future of cancer treatment may well lie in our understanding of how this disease affects not just us, but the entire animal kingdom.
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The study was published in Nature Communications.
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