A new method known as Pharmacoscopy is able to make life much easier for people with an incurable form of blood cancer. A group of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and University Hospital Zurich have successfully developed a method that allows them to determine the most effective form of treatment for all multiple myeloma patients.
According to a report from ETH Zurich, they have managed to break something of a deadlock. Until now, one of the problems with this form of cancer is that, despite treatment, it frequently recurs, with the treatment options often making the cancer cells more resistant to the drugs administered. Ultimately, after several rounds of treatment, there is no longer any effective treatment option available. Up to this point, the average life expectancy after diagnosis is five years.
A screening platform is used to test how cells from bone marrow biopsies react to 384 different active substances, combinations of active substances and immunotherapies. With the help of automated microscopy and a deep learning algorithm, the researchers can see after just over 24 hours which form of treatment offers the best chance of success. According to ETH Zurich, this is different for all patients. As such, this approach can be regarded as a “prime example of personalized medicine”. ce/mm
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