Researchers of SZTAKI work on developing therapies that can be tailored using Artificial Intelligence

Researchers of SZATKI participate in the Horizon 2020 AIDPATH project that aims to facilitate the so-called CAR-T therapies tailored to individual patients by using the cutting-edge achievements in artificial intelligence as well as production planning and scheduling techniques. The results are expected to be utilized in hematology, oncology, and handling various contagious and immune diseases.  

The goal of the EU K2020 AIDPATH (Artificial Intelligence-driven, Decentralized Production for Advanced Therapies in the Hospital) consortium is to develop next-generation, personalized remedial therapies in Europe’s hospitals using artificial intelligence methods. The subject of the research, development, and innovation activity is the so-called CAR-T cell therapy that has become a proven method in hematology and oncology and is expected to be applicable in handling infectious or autoimmune diseases, too.

Numerous factors challenge traditional CART cell therapy: today’s procedures usually don’t take into account the status of the patient or the individual characteristics of the cells subject to the treatment; the production of the cells is uncertain, and the central laboratory may provide these services to the hospitals by sophisticated logistical processes only.  

The AIDPATH project aims to develop therapies customized to individuals that take into account the patient-specific data and biomarkers more adequately during the T-cell treatment. Beyond this, they are to provide a flexible cell production process to create a T-cell population that is most appropriate for the patients. In each step of the therapy, artificial intelligence methods are used. The latest production planning and scheduling results are harnessed to the best possible utilization of the hospital resources.        

In the four-year AIDPATH project, SZTAKI is represented by the EMI - Research Laboratory on Engineering & Management Intelligence. The direct antecedent of the successful H2020 bid was a bilateral research work in medical informatics for producing stem cells. This was a cooperation project between the German institute acting as the consortium leader and the EMI Laboratory of SZTAKI within the framework of the European EPIC Centre of Excellence in Production Informatics and Control, led by SZTAKI. The AIDPATH project manager on the Hungarian side is Dr. Tamás Kiss, a scientific advisor or SZTAKI.        

The leader of the AIDPATH consortium is the German Fraunhofer IPT (Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie). Other academic partners are University College London, Idryma Technologias Kai Erevnas (FORTH),  Univaersitaetsklinikum Würzburg,  Fundacio Clinic per a la Recerca. Non-academic participants are Algaris Cell, Irvine Scientific, Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics,  IRIS Technology Solutions, Red Alerts Labs, Panaxea, and ORTEC Optimization Technology B.V.

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