- Predictive tools will seek to reduce leading cause of
failure rates in clinical trials of oncology drugs.
- Integrated AI and microscopy expected to lead to better
understanding of tumor structures and treatment
strategies.
- New technology will work to capture and analyze the highly
heterogeneous tumor microenvironment.
WASHINGTON, July 11,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR),
a global science and technology innovator, today launched a
research collaboration with Stanford
University's Department of Bioengineering intended to shape
the future of cancer drug screening through "smart microscopy."
Combining spatial biology with artificial intelligence (AI), the
research team at the Danaher Beacon for Spatialomics aims to help
de-risk cancer drug development.
Tumors are highly variable, not just from tumor to tumor but
within each tumor itself. This variation in the "microenvironment"
leads to unpredictable clinical outcomes, including high failure
rates during clinical trials. The collaboration aims to leverage
the latest findings in spatial biology coupled with cutting-edge AI
to make it possible to screen more complex cellular systems.
Chandra Ramanathan, VP and
Head of External Innovation of Danaher's DH Life Sciences LLC
subsidiary, said: "Many oncology drug trials fail because we
cannot yet capture and analyze the nuances of the tumor
microenvironment and how key proteins spatially interact with each
other. Addressing this challenge will require collecting data at
scale and designing new ways to analyze it. We are delighted to
commit Danaher's expertise to seek to develop AI-driven phenotyping
that could improve drug screening and bring more effective and
safer drugs to cancer patients."
Emma Lundberg, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Bioengineering and Pathology at Stanford University, said: "We're at the
brink of a new era when it comes to spatial biology and structural
cell modeling. This research collaboration will seek to apply the
latest microscopy and AI tools at the scale needed to understand
treatment responses based on differences in protein expression that
change across regions of the tumor."
The collaboration is a partnership between Leica Microsystems, a
Danaher subsidiary, and Lundberg, a researcher and leader in the
field of spatial proteomics and cell biology known for her
involvement in the Human Protein Atlas project. The outcome could
be an analysis engine that can detect spatial, proteomic, and
metabolic changes in the tumor microenvironment and more accurately
predict how tumors will respond to potential therapies.
The collaboration is the latest addition to the Danaher Beacons
program, which funds product-driven scientific research with
globally recognized academic investigators.
ABOUT DANAHER
Danaher is a leading global life sciences and diagnostics
innovator, committed to accelerating the power of science and
technology to improve human health. Our businesses partner closely
with customers to solve many of the most important health
challenges impacting patients around the world. Danaher's advanced
science and technology - and proven ability to innovate - help
enable faster, more accurate diagnoses and help reduce the time and
cost needed to sustainably discover, develop and deliver
life-changing therapies. Focused on scientific excellence,
innovation and continuous improvement, our approximately 63,000
associates worldwide help ensure that Danaher is improving quality
of life for billions of people today, while setting the foundation
for a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow. Explore more at
www.danaher.com.
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and/or address foreign competition, contractions or growth rates
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SOURCE Danaher Corporation