Clinical decision support for mammologists and an emergency bleeding control product − finalist projects in the SPbU Start-up − 2023 contest
Fifteen teams have made it to the finals of the SPbU Start-up — 2023 contest. This year, for the first time, the contest is open to students and early-career researchers from all across Russia. As the organisers point out, many of the teams unite researchers not only from different fields, but also from different universities and research organisations. Among the finalists, there are interesting healthcare and medicine projects.
A team of students and early-career researchers from St Petersburg University and Novosibirsk National Research State University are creating a complex software product to support the work of oncomammlogists and training of clinical residency students in medical oncology. The product is to assist the chemotherapist and oncomammologist in making treatment decisions for breast cancer patients by digitising this process.
An old school friend of mine, a medical student at Novosibirsk State University, has been analysing the breast cancer statistics for a couple of years, with a view to assessing five-year survival rate after chemotherapy. We talked with him about it, and then joined forces and visions to get healthcare and IT working in tandem. Indeed, a lot of high-quality research and developments today happen at the intersection of these fields of study.
Aleksandr Ermolenko, Captain of the team, a student at St Petersburg University
In essence, our start-up project aims to specify criteria and input parameters for initiating chemotherapy treatment based on a given medical history. In other words, the software facilitates making treatment decisions with specific recommendations for the patient, based on the clinical guidelines adopted by the Ministry of Health.
Read the following articles in the series "SPbU Start-up − 2023" that will feature other finalist teams and innovative projects in: Information Technology; Artificial Intelligence; Agriculture; and other fields.
Additionally, the students and early-career researchers from St Petersburg and Novosibirsk have developed a search module for patient medical histories that allows for applying machine learning algorithms. Thus, even though at present, patient medical histories are filled out differently in different medical institutions, this does not present a problem for the algorithm developed by the young researchers — any medical records can be processed and analysed.
The health records are analysed using natural language processing techniques. Then, a script with treatment guidelines is applied to the captured data. As a result, the algorithm is able to select the optimal and, most importantly, individualised treatment strategy for the given clinical course of the disease.
‘It should be stressed that this is a support system for clinical decision making about chemotherapy for breast cancer. We do not interfere with treatment. For doctors, this is a clinical-based decision support tool for enhancing health-related decisions and actions,’ Aleksandr Ermolenko explained.
The team unites students and early-career researchers from St Petersburg and Novosibirsk. St Petersburg University is represented by Aleksandr Ermolenko, who is a student in the programme "Applied Mathematics, Fundamental Informatics and Programming" and the team captain. Four team members are from Novosibirsk National Research State University. David-Mendl Tseilikman is in charge of the marketing and economic development of the project; Sofia Shcherbakova is responsible for the clinical data analysis; Ilia Evgenov is doing laboratory research; and Vladislav Goleinov is developing a medical software programme.
Another finalist in the SPbU Start-up − 2023 contest is the Sanguis team. The early-career researchers from Tomsk are developing a project to create an immediate haemostatic agent. Their product will be used for bleeding control during complex surgeries or in cases of trauma injuries.
‘Such products do exist today, but the polymers used in existing bleeding control products cannot provide a sufficient degree of tissue adhesion. We are selecting a composition that will provide topical haemostasis and have strong tissue sealant and tissue adhesive properties. The ideal composition will have the capability to effectively and immediately manage bleeding and reduce or prevent blood loss in emergency or surgical settings,’ said Mikhail Kovtunov, Captain of the Sangvis team and Laboratory Assistant at Tomsk State University.
The annual competition of innovative projects "SPbU Start-up" is being held at St Petersburg University for the eighth time. Over 80 applications for the SPbU Start-up − 2023 were submitted over the course of one month. 15 of the submitted projects were nominated for the final round. On 25 May 2023, the finalist teams will present their projects at St Petersburg University for the final selection. Then, the results of the contest will be determined and announced.
The young researchers from Tomsk are going to use in their product only substances of natural origin to avoid allergic reactions and ensure the product safety. Moreover, they plan to use bioresorbable and biodegradable materials that will not "clog" the wound and will be able to safely decompose without producing toxic substances in the body.
According to the members of the Sanguis team, there is a demand for immediate haemostatic agents today in hospitals of Tomsk and other cities. It is not infrequent that traditional gauze bandages or special wound dressings — requiring pressure to be applied to the wounded area — are still used in operating theatres. When surgeons achieve rapid haemostasis, potential benefits include shorter operative times, decreased requirement for transfusions, and overall improvement in patient recovery time.
The Sanguis team is composed of early-career researchers, master’s and doctoral students in chemistry and physics. The Captain of the Sanguis team is Mikhail Kovtunov, Laboratory Assistant in the Chemical Technology Laboratory at Tomsk State University. Egor Blinov, a doctoral student in Physical Chemistry at Tomsk State University, is analysing the existing patents in this area and their strengths. Daniil Zubarev, a research assistant at the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a doctoral student at Tomsk State University, is synthesising polymeric compounds and selecting materials for the product under development. Semen Nikulaichev, a master’s student in Physical Chemistry at Tomsk State University, is responsible for the element, physical and literature reviews.
‘Of course, our product is not a "magic pill", but in surgical emergencies, when every minute counts, it will help to significantly reduce the risk of excessive blood loss. Outside of the surgical settings, our product can be used in emergency situations, for example, to stop a cut from severe bleeding. Then, of course, proper wound treatment and medical care will be required,’ explained Mikhail Kovtunov.
The researchers from Tomsk State University are planning to offer their emergency bleeding control product to Tomsk Regional Clinical Hospital. In future, they hope it will be mass-produced and available in pharmacies.