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Approximately 400,000 new cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year. Despite advances in molecular classification, almost two-thirds of patients still do not receive an accurate prognosis.
This challenging scenario is further complicated when, after initial treatment, some women face relapses and develop metastases, increasing the complexity of their treatment and reducing their chances of survival.
New tools to predict recurrences
In response to this challenge, a research team led by Dr. María J. Macías, ICREA researcher and head of the Structural Characterization of Macromolecular Assemblies Laboratory at IRB Barcelona, has developed an innovative methodology based on a combination of transcriptomics, clinical data and artificial intelligence algorithms to predict which patients are at greatest risk of relapse.
This study is a continuation of work carried out over the last three years focused on the analysis of molecular and clinical data from 200 patients from the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona.
Through this analysis, the researchers have identified specific biomarkers that allow prediction of relapse with great precision—something that current models fail to achieve accurately. In addition, it has been possible to classify tumours that conventional protocols could not identify.
“Now we intend to move forward in our search for more precise biomarkers to predict the recurrence of endometrial cancer. With these in hand, we will be able to develop diagnostic tools that allow us to offer more personalised and effective treatments, thus avoiding unnecessary treatments," explains Dr. Macías. “The support of the "La Caixa" Foundation is essential for this project because, in addition to providing the necessary financial resources, they have linked us up with a network of technology transfer experts. We believe that this combination of training and mentoring will allow us to accelerate the process of bringing our research to society and improving the lives of patients,” she adds.
A project with financial support and great expectations
This project seeks to validate those results by expanding the number of samples with which the first artificial intelligence algorithm was trained, using patient data also from hospitals other than Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona. Once the model has been validated, its application in clinic settings will be explored as a tool to design new protocols for better defining the risk groups for recurrence, adjusting adjuvant treatments and avoiding excessive treatments. Furthermore, this model would allow optimization of the monitoring and treatment of high- and low-risk patients, as well as the identification of new therapeutic targets.
A brighter future for patients
In the long term, this methodology could optimise the follow-up of endometrial cancer patients and open the door to the identification of new therapeutic targets. This advance promises to be a great step towards precision medicine, improving treatment options and patients' quality of life.
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
