Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) and their collaborators have made strides in the early detection of prostate cancer and heart disease. By employing nanomedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and causal analysis, they have connected biological clues directly to these diseases for the first time.
Morteza Mahmoudi, an associate professor at MSU’s Department of Radiology and Precision Health Program, explained that diseased cells release proteins into the bloodstream which can provide critical information about a patient’s health. These proteins are studied to advance personalized medical treatments.
The team focused on identifying rare biomarkers for metastatic prostate cancer and atherosclerosis. To do this, they introduced nanoparticles to blood plasma samples and used AI along with causality analysis to identify potential biomarkers. Mahmoudi stated, “It’s the first time that nanomedicine, protein corona, AI and actual causality have been used together to identify a cause for disease.”
Significant contributions came from MSU researchers Mohammad Ghassemi, Borzoo Bonakdarpour, and Liangliang Sun. The research received funding from several sources including the American Heart Association and the National Science Foundation.
This breakthrough has been documented in the Chemical Engineering Journal.
