AI stroma-based prostate cancer risk grader for Black men
Artificial intelligence enabled Stroma-Weighted Automated Grading system to improve risk stratification in Black Men
This project will build a computer tool that uses routine and advanced tissue images to predict which Black men with prostate cancer are more likely to have aggressive disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301891 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have a prostate biopsy, researchers would use your routine H&E slides and special label-free imaging (multiphoton/SHG) to teach an AI how stromal and gland features relate to risk. The team will hand-annotate many images so the Stroma-Weighted Automated Gleason (SWAG) system can learn to read tissue patterns linked to worse outcomes. They will link the image-based risk predictions to molecular studies using spatial transcriptomics and multiplexed CRISPR tests in lab models to find genes that drive racial differences. The goal is a tool that could flag high-risk tumors—especially in Black men—without extra staining or complex tests for patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer or undergoing prostate biopsy who can provide tissue or image data for training or validation.
Not a fit: People without prostate cancer, those without available biopsy tissue or images, and patients whose tumors lack the stromal patterns this tool detects may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify Black men with prostate cancer who need closer monitoring or earlier treatment, potentially reducing deaths from aggressive disease.
How similar studies have performed: Automated image-based Gleason grading has shown promise in prior work, but combining a stroma-weighted AI focused on Black men's tumors with spatial transcriptomics and CRISPR validation is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tewari, Ashutosh K — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Tewari, Ashutosh K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.