Could AI help treat brain tumours in children?

Researchers in Cambridge are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in finding new treatments for children suffering from brain tumours. The Children's Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, co-directed by Professor Richard Gilbertson, is at the forefront of this important work. Professor Gilbertson, who has grey hair and a beard, wears brown framed glasses and a light blue shirt with a brown spotted tie. He spends a lot of time looking through a microscope, trying to understand the complexities of brain tumours. Each year, around 420 children in the UK are diagnosed with brain cancer, which, although rare, poses significant challenges. The team is not only focused on discovering new treatments but also on improving survival rates for these young patients. Currently, children diagnosed with the most aggressive forms of brain cancer often do not survive beyond a year. Dr. Elizabeth Cooper, another key researcher at the centre, emphasizes that treating brain tumours in children is quite different from treating them in adults. Dr. Cooper, who has brown hair tied back and wears a white lab coat, explains, 'The brain changes all the time when kids are growing up. ' This constant change may be one reason why immunotherapy, a treatment that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer, has not been very effective for brain tumours. She adds, 'Immunotherapy has changed how we treat cancer but it doesn’t always work for brain tumours. ' The researchers are working to understand the brain's immune system better and how it can be utilized in treatment. Professor Gilbertson believes that new drugs are essential for treating brain cancer in children. He states, 'We need to design new drugs to treat children’s disease,' emphasizing the need for medicines that are 'less toxic and harmful' for young patients. The centre has recently received a multi-million-pound grant, which will be used to further their research. A portion of this funding will be allocated to using AI to create digital models of the most complex brain tumours. Professor Gilbertson explains, 'We’ll be able to use the models to test our treatments in virtual clinical trials, and hopefully identify ones that are kinder for children. ' This is particularly important as some current treatments, like radiotherapy, can lead to severe side effects. The researchers are optimistic that AI will help them discover better treatment options for children with brain tumours.