Predicting Parkinson’s Disease 7 Years Before Symptoms

FEATURED RESEARCH

Blood Test Predicts Parkinson’s Disease Up to 7 Years Before Symptoms Appear

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressively debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. It causes motor symptoms like tremors and muscle stiffness, as well as non-motor symptoms such as REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

Researchers from the University Medical Center Goettingen have utilized AI and machine learning to identify plasma biomarkers that can predict PD up to seven years before symptom onset.

Two major findings you should know:

• Machine learning model analyzed blood samples and identified 8 biomarkers that correlate with early molecular events in PD.

• This model correctly identified all PD patients and classified 79% of RBD individuals as at risk for developing PD up to seven years before the onset of motor symptoms.

Why it matters: Findings from this study greatly enhance the potential for early PD diagnosis. Identifying a reliable blood-based biomarker panel could change clinical practice by enabling early interventions to potentially slow disease progression.

Additionally, these biomarkers could help select participants for clinical trials focused on neuroprotective treatments, accelerating the development of therapies to halt or delay PD onset.

Next steps: The research team plans to validate the AI-driven test in larger, independent groups and further refine the machine-learning models. They aim to integrate this AI-based diagnostic tool into clinical practice for early detection and personalized treatment of Parkinson's disease.

For more details: Original Article

Brain Booster

Why are phytoplankton important to marine ecosystems?

1. They form symbiotic relationships with corals

2. They decompose organic matter

3. They produce oxygen and serve as a primary food source

4. They provide habitat for fish

See below for the answer!

Seed to Success

ANTIBODY THERAPEUTICS

Ability Biologics Secured $18 Million to Transform Cancer Treatment

Ability Biologics, a leading biotherapeutic targeting company, focuses on developing highly selective antibody therapeutics using their proprietary AbiLeap™ platform, which integrates AI with a vast antigen-antibody database.

Funding: Raised $18 million in a seed funding extension.

Backers: Led by Amplitude Ventures and included participation from Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Investissement Québec, Charles River Laboratories, Theodorus, and Alexandria Venture Investments.

What’s next: The funding will enhance AI capabilities and accelerate the development of targeted therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, aiming for more precise and effective treatments.

For more details: Full Press Release

💰 5 Other funded companies

1. Tempus AI, which uses AI to advance precision medicine, raised $410.7 million in its IPO, with shares jumping 15% on their Nasdaq debut, valuing the company at over $6 billion. [Link]

2. Pomelo Care raised $46 million in Series B funding to expand its virtual maternal care services across 46 states. [Link]

3. Plenful raised $17 million in Series A funding to enhance AI-powered workflow automation for pharmacy operations. [Link]

4. Arya raised $7.5 million in seed funding to enhance its AI-powered sexual wellness platform. [Link]

5. Tandem Health raised $9.5 million in seed funding, led by Northzone, to expand its AI healthcare co-pilot, with backing from investors at OpenAI and Deepmind. [Link]

New Partnerships

CANCER CARE

Can Color Health and OpenAI’s AI Copilot Really Make Cancer Screening More Efficient for Doctors?

Color Health, founded in 2013, collaborates with OpenAI to improve cancer care via an AI-driven personalized care plan tool. Serving over 7 million patients, Color aims to enhance healthcare access and quality by integrating advanced AI into clinical workflows.

Why it matters: Delayed cancer treatment can significantly increase mortality risk. Color’s AI-driven tool helps clinicians quickly identify and address gaps in patient diagnostics, expediting the initiation of treatment.

Key benefit: The copilot application significantly reduces the time clinicians spend on diagnostic evaluations, ensuring timely and comprehensive cancer care.

Next steps: Color plans to expand this AI tool to reach over 200,000 patients by late 2024, starting with their cancer program. They also aim to increase access for primary care providers by partnering with more healthcare institutions to integrate the AI copilot into various clinical workflows.

For more details: Full Press Release

🤝 4 Other collaborations shaping the future

1. Mika Health is partnering with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to deliver AI-enabled mobile support for women undergoing breast cancer treatment in Switzerland, aiming to enhance their treatment experience through personalized digital therapeutics. [Link]

2. Athos Therapeutics is using Vultr's Cloud GPU, to enhance its AI-driven drug discovery engine, optimizing the development of small-molecule therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases and cancer. [Link]

3. Rendever and Lenovo have collaborated to bring VR experiences to seniors at Carolina Caring, using Lenovo's ThinkReality VRX headsets to enhance quality of life through immersive, shared virtual reality activities. [Link]

4. INOVAIT and the Government of Canada announced a $10.7 million investment in AI-enhanced image-guided therapy technologies through the 2024 Focus Fund program, funding seven innovative projects. [Link]

This week in June - Is it Real?

This week on June 18, 1983, Dr. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the Challenger, highlighting the increasing role of women in scientific research and space exploration.

Milestone Moments

⚡2 Product launches and 1 regulatory news

1. The FDA, along with regulators from Canada and the UK, is promoting transparency in AI development for medical devices to ensure safety and trust through clear communication, multidisciplinary input, and diverse data usage. [Link]

2. Salesforce has launched its AI-powered Life Sciences Cloud to enhance engagement between pharma, medtech companies, patients, and healthcare professionals, streamlining operations and personalizing interactions. [Link]

3. CipherHealth has launched AI Summaries within its CipherRounds toolkit, using generative AI to create concise patient data summaries that enhance communication and personalize care during patient rounding. [Link]

Opinion and Perspectives

HEALTHCARE POLITICS

Why Political Division Threatens the Future of AI in Healthcare

Political polarization in the US creates big challenges for developing and implementing AI in healthcare.

The main issue is that regulatory fragmentation and varying political views make it hard to agree on AI policies. However, despite these obstacles, many voters from both parties support AI regulation in healthcare.

This bipartisan backing hints at the possibility of unified policy efforts to ensure AI is beneficially integrated into healthcare systems.

For our analysis: Full Article

We Value Your Thoughts!

Trivia Answer: Produce oxygen and serve as a primary food source

Phytoplankton produce a significant portion of the world's oxygen through photosynthesis and are a fundamental part of the marine food web, serving as the primary food source for many marine organisms.

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