This technique could be potentially useful in detecting cancer cells in tissue samples, either obtained from tumour biopsies or liquid biopsies, which are blood tests.
Due to its intracellular activity, each type of cell displays its own “fingerprint”, which consists of a unique combination of red, green and blue components when it is illuminated. The researchers also extended their analysis to differentiate between benign and metastatic cancer cell lines. He added that the accuracy rate of the algorithm depends on how different the cellular RGB fingerprints are from each other, and the number of cells the AI algorithm learns to identify.
The team envisions a real-time diagnostic technique where clinicians are able to diagnose cancer at any stage based on the sample obtained from a blood test.