Nanogenomics and Artificial Intelligence: A Dynamic Duo for the Fight Against Breast Cancer

Abstract

Application software is utilized to aid in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Yet, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are addressing challenges related to the detection, classification, and monitoring of different types of tumors. AI can apply deep learning algorithms to perform automated analysis on mammographic or histologic examinations. Large volume of data generated by digitalized mammogram or whole-slide images can be interoperated through advanced machine learning. This enables fast evaluation of every tissue patch on an image, resulting in a quicker more sensitivity, and more reproducible diagnoses compared to human performance. On the other hand, cancer cell-exosomes which are extracellular vesicles released by cancer cells into the blood circulation, are being explored as cancer biomarker. Recent studies on cancer-exosome-content revealed that the encapsulated miRNA and other biomolecules are indicative of tumor sub-type, possible metastasis and prognosis. Thus, theoretically, through nanogenomicas, a profile of each breast tumor sub-type, estrogen receptor status, and potential metastasis site can be constructed. Then, a laboratory instrument, fitted with an AI program, can be used to diagnose suspected patients by matching their sera miRNA and biomolecules composition with the available template profiles. In this paper, we discuss the advantages of establishing a nanogenomics-AI-based breast cancer diagnostic approach, compared to the gold standard radiology or histology based approaches that are currently being adapted to AI. Also, we discuss the advantages of building the diagnostic and prognostic biomolecular profiles for breast cancers based on the exosome encapsulated content, rather than the free circulating miRNA and other biomolecules.