New AI-based nano-radiomics successfully analyze the tumor microenvironment.

A disease capable of decimating and killing those affected, cancer involves cells in a specific part of the body growing and reproducing uncontrollably in a process known as proliferation. In a recent breakthrough, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been established as a key driver for cancer progression, promoting resistance to therapeutics all the while enabling the disease to evade the immune system. Specifically, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been shown to play a central role in maintaining the TME through the suppression of host immunity, the establishment of new vasculature, and the remodeling of connective tissue to support tumor growth. Therefore, it is imperative to develop cancer immunotherapies able to promote the anti-oncological activity of the immune system with the dual ability to combat the highly detrimental effects of the TME. However, while it is straightforward to assess the effect of new therapies on cancer cells, estimating the effectiveness of these novel therapies on the TME is challenging.