AI-Powered Spatial Biology Uncovers Predictive Biomarkers in Melanoma Patients
A collaboration between U.S.-based Bio-Techne and Israeli AI specialist Nucleai has, for the first time in a clinical trial, identified spatial immune interactions within tumor tissue as predictors of treatment success in metastatic melanoma. Data from the SECOMBIT trial will be presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2025 Annual Meeting as one of the top 150 abstracts selected from over 1,200 submissions (Poster #528). Researchers analyzed 42 pre-treatment biopsies using Bio-Techne’s COMET™ platform—a 28-plex multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) panel—and integrated the imaging data with histopathology and clinical outcomes via Nucleai’s multimodal AI-powered spatial operating system. The results show that distinct cell-to-cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment predict progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and clinical benefit across three treatment arms involving immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and targeted therapy. The study, led by Professor Paolo Ascierto (University of Naples…
