AI-Powered Radiotherapy: Cancer Research UK Funds £5.9 Million Project
Cancer Research UK is investing £5.9 million ($7.7 million) to accelerate radiotherapy research through the use of artificial intelligence and virtual trials. This funding supports researchers at the University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, further boosting the RadNet radiotherapy research programme, which received a significant £24 million investment from CRUK this year alone.
Simulations Drive Faster, Safer Trials
A key focus of this initiative involves developing advanced computer simulations. These simulations mimic real-life patient data, including “digital twins” to predict individual outcomes. By creating virtual patient groups, researchers can evaluate new radiotherapy approaches more quickly and efficiently than traditional clinical trials, eliminating the need to involve real patients in initial stages.
Prof Rob Bristow, director of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre and chief academic officer at The Christie, and lead researcher for the project, explains, “The funding supports basic and discovery science to develop new approaches using state-of-the-art radiotherapy technologies to help more people survive cancer, with fewer side effects and a better quality of life after treatment.”
Professor Bristow further emphasizes the advantages of virtual trials: “Virtual clinical trials are a new and exciting way to preview and test out new ideas using computerised simulation and improve the results of clinical trials. They help reduce the risk associated with investing in large-scale clinical studies by allowing a better tailoring of trials to patients which makes the research trial process faster, safer and less expensive, and less burdensome on our patients.”
AI Revolutionizes Radiotherapy
The Manchester-based research extends beyond simulations, incorporating cutting-edge artificial intelligence to enhance radiotherapy trials. This involves analyzing patient-specific genetics and tumor microenvironments, ultimately informing personalized treatment strategies, including immunotherapy. Notably, one project will leverage virtual trials to compare proton beam therapy with conventional photon radiotherapy for lung cancer patients.
Prof Kaye Williams, deputy director of CRUK RadNet Manchester, highlights the significance of the research: “Research supported through RadNet Manchester will allow us to understand better the complexities that influence an individual patient’s response to radiotherapy and how we can use this to define more personalised, effective treatment with fewer side effects.”
Since its launch in 2019, CRUK has invested over £43 million in the RadNet programme, supporting research efforts across seven centers in the UK, including Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, City of London, Glasgow, Leeds, and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and Royal Marsden Hospital.
**Support cutting-edge cancer research: Donate to Cancer Research UK today!** [Link to donation page]