IBM's Watson cognitive system will assist researcher to analyze brain cancer genome and will also look for possible treatments.
On Thursday, March 19, IBM and the New York Genome Center (NYGC) announced a partnership, which will try out a Watson-type model designed mainly for the purpose of genomic research. Watson will help doctors give extra individualized care to their cancer patients who are suffering from glioblastoma, which is a malignant cancer of the brain that obliterates nearly 13,000 individuals in the U.S. each year.
"Since the human genome was first mapped more than a decade ago, we've made tremendous progress in understanding the genetic drivers of disease. The real challenge before us is how to make sense of massive quantities of genetic data and translate that information into better treatments for patients," said Robert Darnell, CEO, President and Scientific Director of the NYGC. "Applying the cognitive computing power of Watson is going to revolutionize genomics and accelerate the opportunity to improve outcomes for patients with deadly diseases by providing personalized treatment."
Several discoveries have been made pertaining to the genetic drivers of cancers such as glioblastoma. However, only a handful of patients benefit from personalized treatment, which is customized for individual cancer mutations.
"As genomic research progresses and information becomes more available, we aim to make the process of analysis much more practical and accessible through cloud-based, cognitive innovations like Watson," said Dr. John E. Kelly III, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research. "With this knowledge, doctors will be able to attack cancer and other devastating diseases with treatments that are tailored to the patient's and disease's own DNA profiles. If successful, this will be a major transformation that will help improve the lives of millions of patients around the world."
Even with developments in the cancer treatment field, clinicians lack the implements and time that is needed to get DNA-based treatment possibilities patients' way. The partnership between NYGC and IBM will aim to hasten the complex process, recognize arrangements in genome sequencing, as well as analyze medical data of the patients.
Scientists hope that the joint efforts from NYGC's clinical and genomic experts, along with the functionalities of IBM's Watson system, will allow further developments and refinements to medical professionals and evolve personalized cancer care designed for individual patients.
