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CAMBRIDGE, UK, 15 April 2021: Dr Marcel Gehrung, CEO of Cyted, was part of the research group that developed a new technique to help experts diagnose Barrett’s oesophagus – a pre-cancerous condition that can increase the risk of developing oesophageal cancer.
Published todayinNature Medicineand funded by Cancer Research UK, the study explored how artificial intelligence could help free up pathologists time and allow them on diagnosing the trickiest cases of Barrett’s oesophagus.
Cytosponge is a new diagnostic tool developed by Cancer Research UK scientists at the University of Cambridge. It uses a ‘sponge on a string’ to collect cells from the oesophagus, which are then sent to the lab for testing, where pathologists look for a biomarker linked to Barrett’s oesophagus, TFF3.
Previous researchhas suggested that the Cytosponge-TFF3 test can identify 10 times more people with Barrett’s oesophagus than current GP care. However, if this test were to be more commonly used in GP surgeries and elsewhere within the NHS, it could increase the demand on NHS services.
Barrett’s oesophagus can cause cells in the oesophagus to grow abnormally, increasing the risk of oesophageal cancer. Around 3 to 13% of people with the Barrett’s oesophagus develop a type of oesophageal cancer called oesophageal adenocarcinoma –11 times more than the average person. It is thought that many cases of Barrett’s oesophagus go undetected.
The work carried out by Dr Marcel Gehrung during his PhD, based at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, led to the founding of Cyted.
Under the supervision of Dr Florian Markowetz at Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute the team wanted to see if AI could help ease the burden of analysing samples, paving the way for Cytosponge to be used more frequently without straining an already busy NHS care pathway.
Dr Marcel Gehrung, CEO of Cyted, commented:
“A major bottleneck for scaling Cytosponge to test large patient populations is the time it takes for a pathologist to analyse the samples, which has several time-consuming steps.”
The researchers developed an approach that applied deep learning (an AI function that tries to mimic the workings of the brain and process raw data without human oversight) to Cytosponge samples taken from patients taking part in clinical trials. Images from these samples were analysed by the model and trained to understand the features of particular cells that indicate the presence of Barrett’s oesophagus, called goblet cells.
Coding a pathologist’s partner
Trying to develop a fully-automated system with the ability to mimic a pathologist’s single “positive” or “negative” diagnosis was complex. From the samples taken from 2,331 patients, pathologists were able to correctly identify 82% of Barrett’s oesophagus cases. In comparison, the AI approach was able to correctly identify 73% of cases, with both approaches correctly identifying 93% of the negative cases.
Instead, researchers were guided by experienced pathologists to develop a semi-automated triage system. This meant that the result for each sample was categorised into one of 8 different classes depending on how clear cut the diagnosis and quality was. Samples that were deemed to be low quality or more challenging for the deep-learning model were assessed manually by pathologists.
This triage system proved successful. When applied to the clearer cut cases (approximately 60% of the samples), the algorithm was able to identify 83% of cases.
Researchers suggest that it could reduce Cytosponge-related workload for pathologists by 57%.
The future of AI
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said that pathologists play a key role in diagnosis. “But like so many other areas of the NHS, they have been seriously impacted by a lack of investment in workforce over the years. Research such as this, exploring how to support pathologists in their vital work through new technology and innovations is vital, as is long term investment and planning of the cancer workforce.”
As the use and development of this deep learning tool continues to evolve, the researchers think that it will become even more accurate in its definition of triage classes. Researchers also say the technology isn’t limited to this one condition and in the future, it could potentially be applied to other conditions including pancreatic, thyroid and bowel cancer.
References
- Gehrung et al 2021 Triage-driven diagnosis of Barrett esophagus for early detection of esophageal adenocarcinoma using deep learning
- Fitzgerald et al 2020 Cytosponge-trefoil factor 3 versus usual care to identify Barrett's oesophagus in a primary care setting: a multicentre, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial
- Oesophageal cancer risk | Cancer Research UK
About Cyted
Cyted is enabling the earlier detection of disease, providing products and services that combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers.
With significant expertise in pathology, the Company is developing a pipeline of digital and molecular tests for disease detection and risk stratification to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. Cyted has the capacity to rapidly implement its sample processing and analysis workflow at scale via Dialogical®, its proprietary pathology reporting platform based on machine learning algorithms.
The Company’s services and products are initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of an identifiable at-risk population coupled with excellent therapy options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection.
Cambridge, UK, 08 March 2021: The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) today announced the 12 innovators (‘Fellows’) and innovations selected to join its award-winning programme in 2021. These innovations offer solutions to some of the NHS’ most pressing needs and will be supported over the next three years to scale across England for the benefit of NHS patients and staff.
This year, the NIA sought evidence-based innovations that address key NHS priorities: supporting the workforce, mental health and COVID-19 response. From remote patient monitoring and diagnostics to virtual clinical training for staff, the 2021 cohort represents a range of solutions that are set to transform the health and social care system in England.
Each innovation – and its representative Fellow – were selected through a robust, multi-stage assessment process involving a college of expert clinicians, patients and commercial leads drawn from a range of organisations including NHS England and NHS Improvement, NHSX, the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) and NICE.
The announcement marks the sixth cohort joining the NIA, which is an NHS England and NHS Improvement initiative delivered in partnership with England’s 15 AHSNs, hosted at UCLPartners. Since it launched in 2015, the NIA has supported the uptake and spread of 74 evidence-based innovations across more than 2,475 NHS sites.
In recognition of the new cohort, Professor Stephen Powis, Chair of the NIA and National Medical Director for NHS England and NHS Improvement, said:
“After a year like no other for the NHS, the importance of innovation has never been more clear. From the way we deliver services to how we support the health and social care workforce, innovation has proven critical to ensuring we remain able to care for NHS patients and staff effectively and efficiently.
The 12 innovations joining the NHS Innovation Accelerator in 2021 meet the needs of the NHS at this critical time and will be supported to scale across England for even greater patient benefit.”
Marcel Gehrung, CEO, Cyted, commented:
“It is an honour to have been selected for this programme. Cyted’s mission is to work to build a world where disease is prevented rather than treated, and we see collaboration with NHS England as a vital part of this challenge. I am very much looking forward to working with the NIA team over the next three years.”
The 12 innovations selected to join the NHS Innovation Accelerator in 2021 are:
- AcuPebble SA100: a wearable CE-marked medical device able to accurately and non-invasively diagnose sleep apnoea from the patient’s home.
- Brain in Hand: a digital innovation using coaching principles and practical support to help people living with anxiety and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Cyted: provides services for the earlier detection of disease through a proprietary machine learning and digital pathology infrastructure.
- Definition Health: a digital pre- and post-op communications tool between hospital and patient, providing the first end to end journey for surgical patients in the UK.
- Feebris: a mobile-based software platform powered by AI that helps users (clinical or non-clinical) to detect and triage respiratory deterioration remotely.
- Infinity Health: a digital platform on which health and care staff log, share and coordinate their daily tasks in real-time, replacing paper-based manual methods.
- KiActiv: a mentor-guided digital service that empowers people to make sustainable behaviour change in the context of their health, capacity and environment, without the need to visit gyms or clinics.
- Little Journey: a smartphone-based health behaviour modification tool that provides end-to-end support for families to reduce children’s anxiety before a healthcare procedure.
- MUTU System: an at-home online programme of exercises to help women heal and strengthen from pelvic symptoms and associated mental health concerns post-baby.
- Oxford Medical Simulation: providing clinical experiences on demand through the use of virtual reality so doctors and nurses can practice caring for virtual patients whenever they need to.
- Oxehealth: a contact-free vision-based patient monitoring platform for use in hospitals (mental health) and nursed facilities.
- Vinehealth: a digital platform that uses behavioural science and AI to improve the quality of life and survival of cancer patients through highly personalised patient support.
About Cyted https://cyted.ai
Cyted is enabling the earlier detection of disease, providing products and services that combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers.
With significant expertise in pathology, the Company is developing a pipeline of digital and molecular tests for disease detection and risk stratification to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. Cyted has the capacity to rapidly implement its sample processing and analysis workflow at scale via Dialogical®, its proprietary pathology reporting platform based on machine learning algorithms.
The Company’s services and products are initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of an identifiable at-risk population coupled with excellent therapy options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection.
Cyted is headquartered in Cambridge, UK. For more information, visit cyted.ai
About the NHS Innovation Accelerator
The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) is an award-winning NHS England initiative delivered in partnership with England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), hosted at UCLPartners. It supports delivery of theNHS Long Term Planpriorities by accelerating uptake of high impact innovations for patient, population and NHS staff benefit, and providing practical insights on spread to inform national strategy.
Since it launched in July 2015, the NIA has supported 72 Fellows representing 74 innovations to spread across the NHS, making a significant impact. To date, over 2,475 additional NHS sites are now using NIA innovations, our innovators have raised £174.3m in external funding, 746 jobs have been created, 131 awards won, and 49 NIA innovations are now selling internationally.
For more information about the NIA, visit www.nhsaccelerator.com or email nia@uclpartners.com
CAMBRIDGE, UK, 19 October 2020: Cyted Ltd (“Cyted” or “the Company”), a developer and provider of artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure to enable earlier detection of disease, today announced it has acquired Pathognomics Limited, a provider of digital pathology and clinical diagnostic laboratory services, based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK.
The acquisition of Pathognomics will provide Cyted an accredited laboratory environment and digital pathology technology, enabling the rapid uptake and expansion of the pipeline of novel biomarkers and artificial intelligence (AI) technology at Cyted. Cyted and Pathognomics have already worked together to successfully set up and launch diagnostic services for the earlier detection of oesophageal cancer. Cyted and Pathognomics will now look to scale their combined diagnostic reporting services and infrastructure to further support both existing and future healthcare partners.
CAMBRIDGE, UK, 29 September 2020: Cyted Ltd (“Cyted” or “the Company”), a developer and provider of artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure to enable earlier detection of disease, today announced that it has appointed Martin Frost as Commercial and Strategic Advisor. In this role, Martin will guide the Cyted team as the Company continues to grow and commercialise its products and services offering.
Martin has over 20 years of industry experience, including co-founding CMR Surgical in 2014. As CEO of CMR he was recognised as ‘UK Disruptor of the year’ in the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year awards, and ‘Executive of the Year’ at the 2019 MedTech Insight awards, recognising his success in taking CMR from inception to global commercialisation with its surgical robot, Versius. To scale CMR, Martin raised over £250m, a record for any private European medical devices business.
Previously Martin has held a number of C-suite positions including CEO and CFO of Sagentia, the leading technology development company based in Cambridge, which he listed on the London Stock Exchange. Martin qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant, graduated from Cambridge University, and is Chair of the Peek Vision Foundation.
Cyted is enabling the earlier detection of disease, providing products and services that combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers. With significant expertise in pathology, the Company is developing a pipeline of digital and molecular tests for disease detection and risk stratification, to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. Cyted is initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of an identifiable at-risk population coupled with excellent therapy options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection.
Dr Will West, Chairman, Cyted, said:
Martin is a recognised commercial leader in successfully scaling technology and life science businesses. To have him involved at this stage of Cyted’s development is fantastic, as we embark on the next phase towards commercialisation.”
Martin Frost, Commercial and Strategic Advisor, Cyted, said:
What the team at Cyted has already achieved in terms of technical developments is impressive, and I look forward to working with Marcel and the Company as we continue to build strategic partnerships and move towards the commercialisation of Cyted’s products and services.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO of Cyted, said:
Martin has an exceptional track record in the biotech, medtech and medical device development sectors and it is a privilege to welcome him to the team. With Martin’s help we plan to focus on the development of partnerships with NHS trusts, academic health networks and commercial groups, as well as continuing to expand the team at all levels.
About Cyted
Cytedis enabling the earlier detection of disease, providing products and services that combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers.
With significant expertise in pathology, the Company is developing a pipeline of digital and molecular tests for disease detection and risk stratification to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. Cyted has the capacity to rapidly implement its sample processing and analysis workflow at scale via Dialogical®, its proprietary pathology reporting platform based on machine learning algorithms.
The Company’s services and products are initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of patient population, pathological analysis and therapeutic options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection.
About Morningside Venture Capital
Morningside Group was founded in 1986, by the Chan family of Hong Kong, to make private equity and venture capital investments. The group is managed by investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and are effective in the local environment in which they operate. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside Group is strongly committed to social responsibility.
About Project DELTA
Project DELTA aims to improve the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. It is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Kings College London, the PHG Foundation and Cyted. Advisory Board support is provided by Action Against Heartburn, Heartburn Cancer UK, the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance and Newcastle University. The project aims to develop algorithms to identify individuals most at risk. These people will be offered a Cytosponge™-TFF3 test, which can be delivered in an office setting. Cyted will develop AI algorithms to assist pathologists with rapid diagnoses. People diagnosed with Barrett’s oesophagus can then be monitored regularly for early signs of cancer.
CAMBRIDGE, UK, 13 August 2020: Cyted Ltd (“Cyted” or “the Company”), a developer and provider of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure to enable earlier detection of disease, today announced the launch of the first clinics for diagnostic procedures for early detection of Barrett’s Oesophagus, a precursor to oesophageal cancer. The clinics will be run in collaboration with Medtronic and Pathognomics, at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).
The clinics represent a step forward in non-endoscopic oesophageal cell sample collection and implementation of an integrated diagnostic workflow for early detection of oesophageal cancer. Sample collection is carried out using the Cytosponge cell collection devicebyMedtronic, consisting of a mesh sphere on a string inside a gelatine capsule. The capsule is swallowed by the patient and the gelatine capsule dissolves in the stomach allowing the sponge to expand. The sponge is then withdrawn from the stomach, sampling cells from the surface of the oesophagus. The cells and biomarkers associated with Barrett’s Oesophagus are then analysed using the Cyted pathology platform.
Dr Maria O’Donovan, CMO, Cyted, said:
We are delighted to be working with UCLH, alongside Medtronic and Pathognomics, to launch the first clinical procedures for the early detection of Barrett’s Oesophagus. We are excited to bring this technology to patients, which, when paired with our state-of-the-art biomarkers and digital solutions to maximise accuracy and high-throughput delivery, will make a real difference to the earlier detection of oesophageal cancer.
Prof Rebecca Fitzgerald, CSO, Cyted, said:
Early detection of cancer is key to transforming patient outcomes. With oesophageal cancer we have a unique opportunity due to the combination of an identifiable at-risk population coupled with excellent therapy options. The new clinic at UCLH represents a critical next step in being able to offer a simple, non-endoscopic test with rapid results to identify those patients who need further investigation. I hope this is just the beginning and we see expansion of these clinics across other regions in the future. We aim to make this technology widely available and apply this overall approach to other early detection challenges that have hitherto not been possible.
About Cyted
Cytedis enabling the earlier detection of disease, providing products and services that combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers.
With significant expertise in pathology, the Company is developing a pipeline of digital and molecular tests for disease detection and risk stratification to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. Cyted has the capacity to rapidly implement its sample processing and analysis workflow at scale via Dialogical®, its proprietary pathology reporting platform based on machine learning algorithms.
The Company’s services and products are initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of patient population, pathological analysis and therapeutic options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection.
About Morningside Venture Capital
Morningside Group was founded in 1986, by the Chan family of Hong Kong, to make private equity and venture capital investments. The group is managed by investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and are effective in the local environment in which they operate. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside Group is strongly committed to social responsibility.
About Project DELTA
Project DELTA aims to improve the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. It is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Kings College London, the PHG Foundation and Cyted. Advisory Board support is provided by Action Against Heartburn, Heartburn Cancer UK, the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance and Newcastle University. The project aims to develop algorithms to identify individuals most at risk. These people will be offered a Cytosponge™-TFF3 test, which can be delivered in an office setting. Cyted will develop AI algorithms to assist pathologists with rapid diagnoses. People diagnosed with Barrett’s oesophagus can then be monitored regularly for early signs of cancer.
CAMBRIDGE, UK, 01 February 2020: Cyted Ltd (“Cyted” or “the Company”), a developer and provider of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure to enable earlier detection of disease, today announced it has raised £7.5M in a funding round led by Morningside Venture Capital. The funding will be used to scale the Company’s digital diagnostic infrastructure and technology, to enable earlier detection of disease. The Company has also received £1.2M additional funding under the Industrial Challenge Strategy Fund from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency for Project DELTA. The project is in collaboration with the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and King’s College London.
Cyted was founded in 2018 by a team of scientists and clinicians from the University of Cambridge, with support from Cancer Research UK. The Company’s products and services combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers. Cyted’s Dialogical®platform is a pathology reporting tool designed to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. The platform translates the underlying machine learning algorithm into a human-readable report by defining and explaining the pathological analysis.
Cyted’s services and products are initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of an identifiable at-risk population coupled with excellent therapy options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection. WithinProject DELTA, Cyted is developing AI algorithms to assist pathologists with rapid diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus in patients who can then be monitored regularly for early signs of cancer.
Dr Will West, Investment Advisor, Morningside Venture Captial, and Chairman, Cyted, said:
This is one of the most promising approaches we have seen to develop and deploy diagnostics at scale. I look forward to working alongside the team, supporting them as the company continues to grow.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO, Cyted, comments:
We are grateful to our investors for recognising the significant potential that Cyted offers. This substantial financial support of the company will enable us to develop, launch and scale our services. We are also excited to be part of Project DELTA. Diagnosing oesophageal cancer at an early stage allows for early intervention, improving quality of life.
About Cyted
Cytedis enabling the earlier detection of disease, providing products and services that combine proprietary artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers.
With significant expertise in pathology, the Company is developing a pipeline of digital and molecular tests for disease detection and risk stratification to streamline diagnostic and clinical workflows. Cyted has the capacity to rapidly implement its sample processing and analysis workflow at scale via Dialogical®, its proprietary pathology reporting platform based on machine learning algorithms.
The Company’s services and products are initially focused on oesophageal cancer, where the combination of patient population, pathological analysis and therapeutic options offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes through early detection.
About Morningside Venture Capital
Morningside Group was founded in 1986, by the Chan family of Hong Kong, to make private equity and venture capital investments. The group is managed by investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and are effective in the local environment in which they operate. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside Group is strongly committed to social responsibility.
About Project DELTA
Project DELTA aims to improve the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. It is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Kings College London, the PHG Foundation and Cyted. Advisory Board support is provided by Action Against Heartburn, Heartburn Cancer UK, the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance and Newcastle University. The project aims to develop algorithms to identify individuals most at risk. These people will be offered a Cytosponge™-TFF3 test, which can be delivered in an office setting. Cyted will develop AI algorithms to assist pathologists with rapid diagnoses. People diagnosed with Barrett’s oesophagus can then be monitored regularly for early signs of cancer.
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