MSU Researchers Use Nanomedicine and AI to Diagnose Diseases

Imagine a stadium packed with 75,000 fans, all wearing green and white jerseys, except one person in a solid green shirt. Finding that person would be tough. That’s how hard it is for scientists to find disease markers, known as biomarkers, in the blood. Researchers must sift through the equivalent of 100,000 stadiums worth of information to pinpoint these markers.

A research team from Michigan State University, in collaboration with scientists from Augusta University, Karolinska Institute, and Stanford University, has tackled this challenge using nanomedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and a method for studying cause and effect. Their findings, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, focus on identifying rare biomarkers for metastatic prostate cancer and atherosclerosis, a condition that causes clogged arteries.

“Cells affected by disease secrete proteins and other biomolecules into the bloodstream,” explained Morteza Mahmoudi, an associate professor in the Department of Radiology and the Precision Health Program at MSU. “These proteins provide valuable clues about a patient’s health status or disease. Once identified, they pave the way for significant advancements in the development of personalized medical treatments, or precision medicine.”

Human blood plasma contains many different proteins, and the rarest proteins contain the most valuable insights into diseases. To magnify information from the less abundant plasma proteins, the researchers introduced small particles—nanoparticles that are invisible to the human eye—into plasma samples. They then harnessed AI and actual causality to analyze the results, identifying potential biomarkers for metastatic prostate cancer and atherosclerosis.

“This is the first time that nanomedicine, protein corona, AI, and actual causality have been used together to identify a cause for disease,” Mahmoudi added. “We are excited because this discovery has the potential to advance early detection and develop targeted therapies for prostate cancer and atherosclerosis.”

Significant contributions to this research were made by MSU researchers Mohammad Ghassemi, Borzoo Bonakdarpour, and Liangliang Sun. Funding sources include the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program’s Physician Research Award, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Science Foundation.

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for 170 years. One of the world’s leading public research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all. From lifesaving cancer treatments to solutions that advance technology, agriculture, energy, and more, MSU researchers work every day to shape a better future for the people of Michigan and beyond.