Naval Software Finds Mines … and Cancer Cells
- Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:30pm by
Liz Klimas
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The same technology used to help naval experts overcome the challenge of finding mines under the sea is helping medical researchers pinpoint cancer cells in the human body.
Doctors review hundreds of microscopic cells in search for abnormal cancer cells. Using a software toolkit called FARSIGHT (Fluorescence Association Rules for Quantitative Insight), they are able to find abnormal cells faster — the software uses examples of abnormal cells to scan for others — but the results can often be wrong.
To overcome this and enhance the cell-sifting software, Dr. Larry Carin, professor at Duke University added active learning software algorithms developed by the Office of Naval Research, resulting in more properly categorized cells.
Science Daily reports this technology is already being put into action:
A medical team at the University of Pennsylvania is applying the ONR algorithms, embedded into FARSIGHT, to examine tumors from kidney cancer patients. Focusing on endothelial cells that form the blood vessels that supply the tumors with oxygen and nutrients, the research could one day improve drug treatments for different types of kidney cancer, also known as renal cell carcinoma.
“With the computer program having learned to pick out an endothelial cell, we have now automated this process, and it seems to be highly accurate,” said Dr. William Lee, an associate professor of medicine, hematology and oncology at the university who is leading the research effort. “We can begin to study the endothelial cells of human cancer — something that is not being done because it’s so difficult and time-consuming to do.”
It usually takes days, even weeks, for a pathologist to manually pick out all the endothelial cells in 100 images. The enhanced FARSIGHT toolkit can accomplish the same feat in a few hours with human accuracy.
Kidney cancer cells enhanced by FARSIGHT software. (Image: Office of Naval Research)
The naval software was originally developed to identify unknown objects in the ocean and, according to Dr. Jason Stack, the program officer at ONR who funded Carin’s research, “get the man out of the minefield.”
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cdcats8
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:16pmI am glad there is continuing research in cancer and other diseases. Until you have had something serious you cannot understand what any new found test can mean. Maybe by the time some of you mature it will be available for a disease that you may develop.
Report Post »Krutch
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 11:00amCan it find liberals before they are born? Then they could practice their coveted abortion and save themselves from being mistreated by the evil capitalists!
Report Post »VectorRector
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 3:06pmMy hat’s off to you for snark like that. Well played.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 4:49pmYes! Excellent!
Report Post »OhioRifleman
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 4:51pmSuch snarkiness from the Right…I like it!
Well played and well won. Kudos!
Report Post »piper60
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:39amRevel222, that inaccuracy was before they added the ONR algorithms.
Report Post »Harold B
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:38amThis is wonderful technowledgy and shows or exposes some of the wonderful things humans can accomplish. We now only need the good will to make this creative skill enhance the human state along with a moral revival
Report Post »Spirit 72
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:56amWarfare is not all bad; radar, penicillin, etc. Not to mention preservation of peace through strength
Spirit 72
Report Post »wolverine
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:19amImagine we have protesters on Wall Street that if they had their way such things as this would never be developed
Report Post »Slowman101
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:16amI hope this is available to the public soon!
Report Post »revel222
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 3:40amIYou said they are often wrong in detection????? Let us know when you are often Right in detection Please…
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:46amMedical advancements are amazing. Obamacare must be repealed so they can continue, otherwise which patients would get this new technology in the future, and which would be turned away due to costs? How many medical breakthroughs will be left sitting and collecting dust? Will more presidents like Obama be elected, and we find that patients receive, or don’t receive, care due to Party affiliation? There are more reasons against not having Govt interfere with our healthcare, than there are for it. Much more.
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:02amThis is a cool method, i’m glad someone thought to try it. ;)
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:46amThis is fantastic, great to hear some good news once in awhile.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:40amBut bad news for the economy. First the ATMs take away bank teller jobs, and now oncology screeners are going to be on the street. Doesn’t our poor, smartest-president-we-have-ever-had have enough problems without another job-killing machine? Did that dastardly Bush have something to do with this outrage?
Report Post »Van Bones
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:56pmI wonder if this technology can be used to detect obama cancer.
Report Post »platitude
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:20amwow that was clever. . .not
Report Post »TX_45_ACP
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:55am@Platitude – Much more clever than your other stupid posts, you brainwashed liberal…that’s what you are. MORON
Report Post »Rob in Katy
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:38amyes, but it can’t get rid of the moron support cells…
Report Post »Van Bones
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 3:51pmTo Platiturd, Sorry you didn‘t like it but honestly I didn’t know a cancer like you would be reading it.
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:52pmAnd here, I thought the Slinky was cool.
Report Post »ScreaminEagle
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:51amSlinky, Rubics Cube, Chia Pet, what will they think of next?
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