Linking tumor DNA with immune cell patterns inside cancers
Integrating cancer genomics and spatial architecture of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes
Using computer analysis of tumor images and genetic data to better understand how a patient’s immune cells are arranged in tumors and how that relates to outcomes and treatment response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11299558 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We will use deep learning algorithms to identify different cell types from tumor biopsy images and map where immune cells sit relative to cancer cells. The team transfers molecular labels to many small image regions so thousands to millions of image patches can be annotated without manual review. Those spatial immune-cell measurements will be combined with tumor genomic information to find patterns tied to survival and response to immunotherapy. The work relies on large patient datasets and automated pipelines so the methods can scale across many tumor samples.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with solid tumors who can provide tumor biopsy tissue and linked genomic testing (or allow access to their tumor sequencing and pathology images) would be best suited to contribute.
Not a fit: Patients without available tumor tissue or tumor genomic data, or those with cancers not represented in the study data, are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors predict which patients are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy and guide more personalized cancer care.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies using AI on pathology images and genomic data have shown promising early results, but large-scale integration of spatial immune patterns with tumor genomics is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ji, Hanlee P — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Ji, Hanlee P
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.