Korea University Medical Center announces new AI collab

Korea University Medical Center has partnered with Royal Philips for joint research and development of AI-driven solutions assisting neurological and cardiovascular disorder diagnosis.

The five-year collaboration involves setting up a smart healthcare system, powered by big data and AI, to detect brain and heart disease early and to personalise treatments. 

"The combination of our medical science research capabilities and Philips’ global technology network will significantly accelerate the development of [personalised] diagnostic solutions," commented Park Hong-Seok, professor and head of KUMC's Medical Intelligence Information Center.

Latest cancer genome DB goes live in India

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has released a publicly accessible cancer genome database.

Since 2020, the institute has been sequencing 960 whole exomes from 480 tissue samples of breast cancer patients. 

"The [Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas] fills the gap in the genomic landscape from different cancers in the country. It provides a compendium of genetic variants representing the contemporary Indian breast cancer population to classify variants involved in early diagnostics, disease progression, and treatment outcomes," explained Veezhinathan Kamakoti, professor and director of IIT Madras.

A similar database, the Indian Cancer Genome Atlas, was released last year. It initially covers genomic data collected from breast cancer patients. 

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the Indian Genomic Dataset, which provides access to 10,000 whole genome samples. The ministry also shared its plan to sequence 10 million genomes. 

Kerala gov't powers eye screening programme with AI

The government of Kerala, a state on the west coast of the Indian peninsula, has stepped into the next phase of its eye disease screening programme. 

Nayanamritham 2.0 now equips optometrists with AI-powered fundus cameras by Remidio to classify cases as referrable or non-referrable. 

The screening programme has also expanded from focusing on diabetic retinopathy to including cases of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Screenings now also cover community health centres, taluk hospitals, and district hospitals.