Artificial Intelligence Diagnoses Children's Brain Tumors with 92% Accuracy Without Surgery

SadaNews - An international team led by researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the United States has successfully developed an innovative artificial intelligence algorithm called M-PACT, capable of diagnosing and classifying brain tumors in children with an accuracy of up to 92%, by analyzing droplets of cerebrospinal fluid only, without the need for surgical intervention.

The study results were published in the British journal Nature Cancer, where researchers explained that the technique relies on analyzing free tumor DNA present in the cerebrospinal fluid and detecting molecular "methylation" patterns using a deep neural network powered by artificial intelligence.

A Less Invasive Alternative to Surgery

Traditional diagnosis of brain tumors is based on surgical biopsies of tumor tissues, a procedure that can involve significant risks, especially in children. However, the new algorithm allows for the precise molecular identification of the tumor, monitoring its response to treatment, and even detecting any potential recurrence through what is known as "liquid biopsy."

Researchers noted that the model was trained and tested on hundreds of samples from pediatric patients and demonstrated a high capability to distinguish between different types of central nervous system tumors, as well as to differentiate between tumor recurrence and the emergence of a new tumor.

The principal investigator of the study, Dr. Paul Northcote, director of the Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS) and member of the Department of Developmental Neurobiology said, "This is a new generation of analytics and the computational framework that we have enhanced and applied to a wide range of pediatric brain tumor patients. M-PACT aims to elevate liquid biopsy to a new level in the field of pediatric neuro-oncology, applying this technique in many different clinical cases."

International Research Collaboration

The development of the algorithm involved researchers from several international institutions, including the German Cancer Research Center and the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg, as part of a scientific collaboration aimed at developing more precise and less harmful diagnostic tools for children.

Promising Therapeutic Prospects

The study stakeholders believe that this technique may represent a qualitative shift in the field of pediatric tumors, as it opens the door for precision medicine based on the molecular characteristics of the tumor, with the possibility of continuous monitoring of the disease during and after treatment, without exposing patients to painful or complicated procedures.

Researchers hope that the results will pave the way for the clinical adoption of this tool in the near future, following the completion of the necessary clinical trials.

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