Indian scientists have achieved a major milestone by developing a diagnostic AI tool, “OncoMark”, capable of analyzing cancer at a molecular level. Developed by the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences in collaboration with Ashoka University, this advanced AI system can read the molecular logic of tumors and accurately predict their behavior.
Through this technology, cancers can be classified with far greater precision, and doctors can select drugs that specifically target the tumor’s active markers, including those associated with aggressive forms at early stages.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, “Cancer is not just a disease of growing tumors, it is powered by hidden biological programmes called the hallmarks of cancer. These hallmarks explain how healthy cells become malignant: how they spread, evade immunity, and resist treatment.”
Key Achievements of OncoMark
- Trained on 20,000 real-world patient samples across eight major cancer datasets
- Enabled scientists to visualize how hallmark activity increases with advancing cancer stages
- Applied to 3.1 million single cells across 14 different cancer types
- Demonstrated over 99% accuracy in internal testing
- Maintained above 96% accuracy across five independent cohorts
- Generated synthetic “pseudo-biopsies” to model hallmark-driven tumour states without invasive procedures
- Identified key biological interactions such as metastasis, immune evasion, and genomic instability
This AI breakthrough is opening new ways to provide precise and personalized cancer treatment. It helps doctors choose the right therapies for each patient and spot cancers that might seem harmless but are actually aggressive.
Even more new technologies are coming, offering hope for a brighter future in personalized and proactive cancer care.
