AI-powered solution to optimize the response to radiation treatment of patients with brain tumors

Paris / Strasbourg, France,  7 december 2020.

TheraPanacea, Gustave Roussy, AP-HP, ICANS | Institut de cancérologie Strasbourg Europe and GE Healthcare target to improve brain tumor survival through AI-based personalized radiation treatment

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most complex, deadly, treatment-resistant cancers with an estimated survival of only 12 to 18 months. Despite its long history (first scientific identification in the 1920’s), only a few treatment drugs and devices are used in the management of GBM patients today. A failure to account for the overly complex (heterogenous) structure of GBM, and a tendency to treat tumors uniformly, result in lack of success to significantly extend patient lives beyond a few extra months.  To reduce the socio-economic burden related to unsuccessful, suboptimal treatment of glioblastoma, TheraPanacea along with AP-HP, Gustave Roussy, ICANS and GE Healthcare have secured a competitive funding from Bpifrance to bring effective, personalized treatment to patients as soon as possible.

Leveraging on its expertise in developing cutting-edge, AI-powered software to optimize cancer diagnostics, prognostics, and therapies, TheraPanacea will develop AI algorithms to elucidate the complex structure of GBM and unlock underlying local characteristics which are invisible to human eyes. “This unique collaboration with outstanding clinical partners shifts radiation oncology towards a personalized, smart treatment delivery with better outcomes, lower treatment toxicity and substantial side-effects reduction for GBM patients,” explains Professor Nikos Paragios, founder, and CEO of TheraPanacea.

To enable treatment doses to be delivered locally, the consortium will combine these powerful AI solutions with domain knowledge coming from the renowned clinical institutions. “The goal is to provide a robust, reliable, and easy to use solution for the individualization of GBM treatment that can also improve the radiotherapy workflow across all tumor locations” comments Professor Eric Deutsch, Chair of Radiotherapy at Gustave Roussy and director of the Inserm Unit 1030 - Molecular Radiotherapy and Novel Therapeutics. Professor Georges Noël, head of the department 4R (radiobiology | radioisotope | radiology radiationphysics | radiotherapy) at the Institut de cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, highlights “This unique effort, will introduce novel radiotherapeutic options that will shift the paradigm of dose homogeneity towards improved local disease control, ultimately leading to better outcomes and quality of life for the patients”.

Timing and strategical alignment play an important role in ultimate success and outlook of a cutting-edge project.  "We are delighted to be part of such a promising project. Not only because it will dramatically better the prognosis of glioblastoma patients, but also due to its timely alignment with the current national efforts towards improving the poor prognostic of malignant diseases," declares Professor Philippe Maingon, Medical Director of the Department of Oncology and Hematology at the AP-HP Sorbonne Université hospital-university group.

To make these solutions reach as many patients as possible, the idea is to develop it as a kind of plug-in, that will be made available through a global platform developed by GE Healthcare. "AI DReAM refers to a unique open, interoperable, on prem deployed platform that will accelerate the development of Artificial Intelligence solutions for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. We are thrilled to contribute towards improving treatment and life expectancy of glioma tumors," concludes Baptiste Perrin Digital Research & Development Director, GE Healthcare.

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