CSEM’s AI models reveal how lung tumor cells behave in synthetic blood vessels, highlighting differences between metastatic and non-metastatic cells.
(a) © ARTORG Center (University of Bern) - 3D image showing tumor cells (green) inside artificial vessels (red). Non-metastatic cells remain stable. Adapted from: Schmid KF, et al. Assessing the metastatic potential of circulating tumor cells using an organ-on-chip model. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2024 Oct 8;12:1457884. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1457884. PMID: 39439549, under CC BY 4.0. (b) © ARTORG Center (University of Bern) - Metastatic cells show spread (yellow dashed lines). (c) © CSEM - AI-generated color masks trace each cell’s movement and interactions.
CSEM: Driving innovation through bioconvergence
CSEM’s contribution is itself an interdisciplinary effort, and at the center of CLAMP’s data-driven innovation. Its unique strength lies in bioconvergence—the integration of biology, engineering, and AI to solve complex health challenges.
Its AI-driven tools to analyze how tumor cells behave by integrating two key data streams:
- Dynamic imaging from ARTORG Center's (University of Bern), organ-on-a-chip experiments (in collaboration with the Institute of Tissue Medicine and Pathology, University of Bern).
- Genomic data from Inselspital’s, Bern University Hospital, Clinical Genomics Lab—genetic information that may influence how cancer spreads.
With deep expertise in machine learning and computational biology, CSEM transforms this complex data into clinical insights. It advanced algorithms that identify and track the movement of individual tumor cells, capturing subtle signs of metastases—like migration patterns or cell-to-cell interactions.
These tools are part of CSEM’s Tools for Life Sciences platform, which maps complex biology at the single-cell level. By using real-world patient data from its CLAMP partners, CSEM will continue to train its models to support biomarker discovery (biological indicators that guide treatment) and accelerate progress in personalized cancer care.
