Awarded annually by the Minerva Foundation, the prize recognizes the top biomedical research article published by a Finnish institution in the preceding year. The study, published in the journal Cell, was led by MultivisionDx co-founder Sara Wickström at the University of Helsinki. Collaborating institutes included Helsinki University Hospital, University of Turku, the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the National Institutes of Health in the US.
“What started as a purely curiosity-driven cancer biology study led to a surprising breakthrough in our understanding of cancer development and diagnostics. This study demonstrates that certain combinations of malignant cells and tissue cell types in supposedly healthy surrounding tissue have a strong prognostic effect on the progression of cancer, and could be used to improve precision diagnostics.” says Sara Wickström.
Understanding complex cancers through advanced imaging
The paper describes the development of a powerful image analysis approach for studying multiparameter images of tumor biopsies. The team began by analyzing samples from 212 patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer type with limited diagnostic and treatment options. The team discovered that a combination of biological programs in the tumor and its surrounding microenvironment was strongly linked to patient survival. The researchers then performed various follow-on tests in freshly resected tumors and cultured cancer cells to better understand the drivers behind the poorest outcomes. They identified a signalling co-dependence between fibrotic cells in the tumor microenvironment and cancer cells at the tumor border; these signals caused the cancer cells to become more invasive, leading to greater tumor growth and aggression. Finally, the team refined their hypothesis and confirmed the findings in a new sample of 438 additional patients.
“This work was a massive collaborative effort, involving experts in the fields of cell biology, microscopy, AI-based image analysis, oncology, pathology and bioinformatics. This award recognizes the hard work and efforts of the full team.” says Karolina Punovuori, lead author of the study.
“This recognition highlights the power of combining advanced imaging and AI with prior biological knowledge to transform how we understand cancer heterogeneity”, adds Fabien Bertillot, a co-author of the study.
From lab to clinic to advance patient care
The award-winning technology was licensed to MultivisionDx earlier this year following the company’s spinout from the University of Helsinki. The team is now working to develop the approach into diagnostic tests for multiple types of cancer.
“I am excited to harness what we learned in this proof-of-concept study into clinical tools that will transform patient care.” adds Punovuori.
Prof. Wickström accepted the prize on behalf of the team and presented the research at an award ceremony at Biomedicum 1, University of Helsinki today.
Read the statement from the Minerva Foundation here: Minerva Foundation