As the global incidence of cancer continues to rise, the complexity of the disease poses significant challenges to advancements in diagnosis and treatment. In response, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal tool in predicting and detecting cancer cases. A groundbreaking AI tool developed by Brazilian and Polish researchers is poised to make a substantial impact in this field.
This innovative machine learning model predicts the aggressiveness of certain tumors by identifying specific proteins, generating a “stemness index” that ranges from zero to one. A score of zero indicates low aggressiveness, while a score of one signifies high aggressiveness. As the index increases, the cancer tends to become more aggressive, resistant to drugs, and more likely to recur.
Understanding the Stemness Index
The concept of stemness refers to how closely tumor cells resemble pluripotent stem cells, which have the potential to transform into nearly any type of cell within the human body. As cancer progresses, malignant cells increasingly deviate from the tissue of origin, exhibiting self-renewal capabilities and an undifferentiated phenotype.
The researchers developed the tool using data from the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) across 11 cancer types. They formulated the protein expression-based stemness index (PROTsi) by analyzing over 1,300 samples, including breast, ovarian, lung, kidney, uterine, brain, head and neck, colon, and pancreatic cancers.
Potential for Personalized Cancer Therapies
By integrating PROTsi with proteomic data from 207 pluripotent stem cells, the research team identified proteins that drive tumor aggressiveness. These proteins could serve as targets for new therapies, thereby advancing clinical treatment development and personalizing cancer therapy.
“Many of these proteins are already targets of drugs available on the market for cancer patients and other diseases. They can be tested in future studies based on this identification,” explained Professor Tathiane Malta of the University of São Paulo.
Malta, along with Professor Maciej Wiznerowicz from Poznan University of Medical Sciences, co-authored the study published in Cell Genomics. Supported by FAPESP through the Young Investigators Grant program, Malta’s work has been recognized for promoting women’s participation in science.
Historical Context and Current Challenges
The announcement comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 40 people are diagnosed with cancer every minute worldwide. Cancer remains a leading cause of death, particularly affecting younger populations. A 2023 study in BMJ Oncology revealed a 79% increase in early-onset cancer among adults under 50 from 1990 to 2019, alongside a 28% rise in cancer-related deaths.
In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute (INCA) estimates 704,000 new cancer cases annually from 2023 to 2025, with non-melanoma skin cancer being the most prevalent, followed by breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancers.
Validation and Future Prospects
During validation, PROTsi demonstrated consistent performance across multiple datasets, effectively distinguishing between stem and differentiated cells. It showed predictive ability in uterine and head and neck cancers, and was particularly effective in differentiating high-grade tumors in adenocarcinoma, uterine, pancreatic, and pediatric brain cancer samples.
“We sought to build a model that can be applied to any cancer, but we found that it works better for some than for others,” said Malta.
According to Malta, the USP group is testing additional computational models to enhance predictive accuracy. Renan Santos Simões, co-first author of the article, emphasized the importance of this research in understanding tumor progression and resistance mechanisms.
“Science advances slowly, carefully, and is built by many hands. It’s gratifying to realize that we’re contributing to this process,” remarked Simões.
About FAPESP
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution dedicated to supporting scientific research across all knowledge fields. By awarding scholarships, fellowships, and grants, FAPESP fosters international collaboration and scientific excellence. More information about FAPESP’s initiatives and breakthroughs can be found on their website.
