Link between seasons and eating habits

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN - THE FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES

The number of hours of light exposure we experience affects how we eat and how we burn energy. This may help us understand the link between seasons and metabolism.

You might imagine that you're healthier in the summer. The sun is shining, we get plenty of vitamin D, and the days are long.

However, recent research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that eating habits in winter may be better for our metabolic health than eating habits in summer, at least if you’re a mouse. Researchers have examined the metabolism and weight of mice exposed to both ‘winter light’ and ‘summer light’.

“We found that even in non-seasonal animals, differences in light hours between summer and winter do cause differences in energy metabolism. In this case, body weight, fat mass and liver fat content,” says Lewin Small, who carried out the research while a postdoc at Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen. He adds:

“We found this mostly in mice exposed to winter light hours. These mice had less body weight gain and adiposity. They have more rhythmicity in the way they eat over a 24-hour period. And this then led to benefits in metabolic health.”

The study is the first of its kind to examine light hour’s influence on metabolism in mice, that are not considered seasonal animals as like humans they do not only breed in specific seasons. Animals breeding in specific seasons gain weight before the breeding season to save energy supplies.  

Light hours affect the metabolism

The researcher's inspiration for initiating the study stemmed from the significant variation in daylight hours across various regions of the world.

“We study the influence of the time-of-day on aspects of metabolism such as exercise, obesity and diabetes. However, most studies that investigate this link do so assuming an equal length of day and night all year round,” says Lewin Small.

Therefore, they wanted to find out what the seasonal light differences meant for the metabolism. Most people in the world live with at least a two-hour difference in light between summer and winter.

“I come from Australia, and when I first moved to Denmark, I was not used to the huge difference in light between summer and winter and I was interested in how this might affect both circadian rhythms and metabolism,” says Lewin Small and adds:

“Therefore, we exposed laboratory mice to different light hours representing different seasons and measured markers of metabolic health and the circadian rhythms of these animals.”

Because the research was conducted using mice as the experimental subjects, it is not possible to assume that the same thing goes for humans.

“This is a proof of principle. Do differences in light hours affect energy metabolism? Yes, it does. Further studies in humans may find that altering our exposure to artificial light at night or natural light exposure over the year could be used to improve our metabolic health,” says Juleen Zierath, Professor at the Novo Nordisk Center for Basic Metabolism Research (CBMR) and senior author of the study.

Lewin Small adds that the new knowledge is important to understand how eating patterns are affected by the light and seasons which might help us understand why some people gain more weight or if people gain more weight in a specific time of year.

“Differences in light between summer and winter could affect our hunger pathways and when we get hungry during the day,” he says.

Read the study ‘Seasonal light hours modulate peripheral clocks and energy metabolism in mice’ in Cell Metabolism

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JOURNAL

Cell Metabolism

DOI

10.1016/j.cmet.2023.08.005 

ARTICLE TITLE

Seasonal light hours modulate peripheral clocks and energy metabolism in mice

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

3-Oct-2023

COI STATEMENT

J.R.Z. is an Advisory Board member for Cell and Cell Metabolism.

A visual circuit related to the habenula mediates the prevention of cocaine relapse by bright light treatment

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

 

IMAGE: 

BRIGHT LIGHT TREATMENT ADMINISTERED DURING COCAINE WITHDRAWAL PREVENTS COCAINE-DRIVEN REINSTATEMENT AND ALLEVIATES AVERSIVE EMOTIONAL STATES THROUGH THE ACTIVATION OF THE VLGN/IGL-LHB PATHWAY

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CREDIT: ©SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

This study is led by Prof. Chaoran Ren (Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan university), Prof. Tifei Yuan (Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine), and Prof. Song Lin (Department of physiology, Jinan university)

The treatment of drug addiction remains a significant challenge, with cocaine use disorder (CUD) carrying a high rate of relapse and imposing a significant global burden. Over the past few decades, considerable efforts have been made to increase the effectiveness of extinction training, a method where individuals are repeatedly exposed to drug-related cues without actual drug use. These efforts have bolstered earlier reports that support the potential for interventions during drug withdrawal with extinction training to prevent relapse.

The lateral habenula (LHb) is particularly noteworthy as it is responsible for driving aversive emotional states, cognition, and withdrawal effects from cocaine. Previous studies have found that the LHb underlies the non-visual aspect of bright light treatment (BLT) in modulating aversive emotional states. Activation of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and intergeniculate leaflet (vLGN/IGL)-LHb pathway by BLT can modulate LHb neuronal excitability and fire mode switching. Considering that aversive emotional state is a significant driver of relapse, it is conceivable that light-based modulation of LHb neuronal activity could influence CUD-related symptoms, particularly relapse.

The present study investigated the effects and underlying circuit mechanisms of BLT during cocaine withdrawal with extinction training on relapse-related reinstatement. Yunwei Fu et al. began by mapping the brain network active during cocaine withdrawal using the neuronal activity marker c-Fos. They found a progressive potentiation of LHb neuronal activity during cocaine withdrawal. Subsequently, they found that BLT administrated during cocaine withdrawal ameliorates LHb neuronal activity, cocaine-driven reinstatement and the aversive emotional states.

To elucidate the neuronal circuitry underlying the effects of BLT on cocaine-driven reinstatement, the team focused on the vLGN/IGL-LHb pathway using various brain circuit analysis tools, including ex vivo electrophysiological recording, fiber photometry ,and chemogenetics. They revealed that the effects of BLT were mediated by activating LHb-projecting neurons in the vLGN/IGL or by inhibiting postsynaptic LHb neurons.

In summary, the team uncovered the non-visual function of light in modulating relapse-related reinstatement after cocaine withdrawal, with and without extinction training, offering a promising avenue for the use of light-based therapy in the treatment of drug addiction.

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JOURNAL

Science Bulletin

DOI

10.1016/j.scib.2023.08.010 

 

More sustainable agriculture by global redistribution of nitrogen fertilizer

Models reveal that a homogeneous global distribution of nitrogen fertilizer would significantly reduce worldwide fertilization and the resulting pollution of the environment

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FÜR TECHNOLOGIE (KIT)

 

IMAGE: 

WORLDWIDE GRAIN FARMING IS ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGH GLOBAL CONSUMPTION OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER. KIT RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT A GLOBAL REDISTRIBUTION WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. (PHOTO: MARKUS BREIG, KIT)

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CREDIT: MARKUS BREIG, KIT

Models Reveal that a Homogeneous Global Distribution of Nitrogen Fertilizer Would Significantly Reduce Worldwide Fertilization and the Resulting Pollution of the EnvironmentModels Reveal that a Homogeneous Global Distribution of Nitrogen Fertilizer Would Significantly Reduce Worldwide Fertilization and the Resulting Pollution of the EnvironmentAbout 60 percent of worldwide nitrogen fertilizer consumption are presently used for growing crops, such as corn, wheat, or rice. These plants need nitrogen fertilizers to grow and produce bigger harvests. However, large quantities of the fertilizer enter the ground and groundwater or are emitted into the atmosphere in the form of nitrous oxide. This pollutes the environment and contributes to the loss of biological diversity, to climate change, and to the degradation of the ozone layer. This problem is particularly serious in the big cultivation areas of North America, Europe, and East Asia, where comparably large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer are used. KIT researchers recently modeled the effect of a worldwide redistribution of nitrogen fertilizer use. They simulated various fertilizer quantities at different locations and calculated the total production of corn, wheat, and rice between 2015 and 2030 using the biogeochemical model LandscapeDNDC. “Our work was based on the question of how we can produce sufficient food without exceeding environmental boundaries,” says Dr. Andrew Smerald from the Atmospheric Environmental Research Department of KIT’s Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), KIT’s Campus Alpine in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Grain Production Level Could Be Maintained with a Far Smaller Global Use of Fertilizer

“Our models show that worldwide consumption of nitrogen fertilizer could be reduced by 32 percent by a more homogeneous distribution. The current level of grain production would remain unaffected,” Smerald says. “For this, nitrogen fertilizer would have to be redistributed from traditional cultivation areas in China, North America, and Europe to less used areas, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.“ Then, the increased production in these regions would compensate decreased production in other regions. As a result, nitrogen fertilizer use for wheat and corn production would be reduced by 45 and 33 percent, respectively, without influencing worldwide production quantities. Moreover, nitrate leaching would be reduced by 71 percent for wheat and 63 percent for corn.

Models reveal that worldwide redistribution of nitrogen fertilizer consumption would positively affect nitrous oxide emissions. (Photo: Andrew Smerald, KIT)

“According to our study, a more homogeneous distribution of nitrogen fertilizer across global croplands would reduce our dependence on the presently existing granaries and decrease nitrogen pollution in East Asia and other strongly fertilized regions,” Smerald says. Another advantage would consist in the fact that crops could be cultivated closer to the place of their consumption. Increased harvests in Africa would help the continent reach self-sufficiency.

Original Publication
Andrew Smerald, David Kraus, Jaber Rahimi, Kathrin Fuchs, Ralf Kiese, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, & Clemens Scheer: A redistribution of nitrogen fertiliser across global croplands can help achieve food security within environmental boundaries. Communications Earth & Environment, 2023. DOI 10.1038/s43247-023-00970-8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00970-8

Models reveal that worldwide redistribution of nitrogen fertilizer consumption would positively affect nitrous oxide emissions. (Photo: Andrew Smerald, KIT)

CREDIT

Andrew Smerald, KIT

More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center

 

Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

About 60 percent of worldwide nitrogen fertilizer consumption are presently used for growing crops, such as corn, wheat, or rice. These plants need nitrogen fertilizers to grow and produce bigger harvests. However, large quantities of the fertilizer enter the ground and groundwater or are emitted into the atmosphere in the form of nitrous oxide. This pollutes the environment and contributes to the loss of biological diversity, to climate change, and to the degradation of the ozone layer. This problem is particularly serious in the big cultivation areas of North America, Europe, and East Asia, where comparably large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer are used. KIT researchers recently modeled the effect of a worldwide redistribution of nitrogen fertilizer use. They simulated various fertilizer quantities at different locations and calculated the total production of corn, wheat, and rice between 2015 and 2030 using the biogeochemical model LandscapeDNDC. “Our work was based on the question of how we can produce sufficient food without exceeding environmental boundaries,” says Dr. Andrew Smerald from the Atmospheric Environmental Research Department of KIT’s Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), KIT’s Campus Alpine in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Grain Production Level Could Be Maintained with a Far Smaller Global Use of Fertilizer

“Our models show that worldwide consumption of nitrogen fertilizer could be reduced by 32 percent by a more homogeneous distribution. The current level of grain production would remain unaffected,” Smerald says. “For this, nitrogen fertilizer would have to be redistributed from traditional cultivation areas in China, North America, and Europe to less used areas, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.“ Then, the increased production in these regions would compensate decreased production in other regions. As a result, nitrogen fertilizer use for wheat and corn production would be reduced by 45 and 33 percent, respectively, without influencing worldwide production quantities. Moreover, nitrate leaching would be reduced by 71 percent for wheat and 63 percent for corn.

“According to our study, a more homogeneous distribution of nitrogen fertilizer across global croplands would reduce our dependence on the presently existing granaries and decrease nitrogen pollution in East Asia and other strongly fertilized regions,” Smerald says. Another advantage would consist in the fact that crops could be cultivated closer to the place of their consumption. Increased harvests in Africa would help the continent reach self-sufficiency.

Original Publication
Andrew Smerald, David Kraus, Jaber Rahimi, Kathrin Fuchs, Ralf Kiese, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, & Clemens Scheer: A redistribution of nitrogen fertiliser across global croplands can help achieve food security within environmental boundaries. Communications Earth & Environment, 2023. DOI 10.1038/s43247-023-00970-8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00970-8

More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center

 

Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

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JOURNAL

Communications Earth & Environment

DOI

10.1038/s43247-023-00970-8 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

A redistribution of nitrogen fertiliser across global croplands can help achieve food security within environmental boundaries

 

Nitrogen enrichment delays the emergence of an aridity-induced threshold for plant biomass

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

 

IMAGE: 

ARIDITY THRESHOLDS FOR MEASURED (A) ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS (N = 1353) AND (D) ROOT-SHOOT RATIO (N = 3093). SOLID RED LINES REPRESENT THE LINEAR FITS ON BOTH SIDES OF EACH THRESHOLD. THE RED NUMBERS AND VERTICAL DASHED LINES REPRESENT THE IDENTIFIED ARIDITY THRESHOLDS. PLANT BIOMASS DATA WERE LOG-TRANSFORMED TO CONFORM TO NORMALITY. THE VIOLIN DIAGRAMS IN PANELS B AND E SHOW BOOTSTRAPPED SLOPES OF THE PREDICTED FITTED TREND AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE TWO REGRESSIONS EXISTING AT EACH SIDE OF THE THRESHOLD (PURPLE BEFORE THE THRESHOLD, RED AFTER THE THRESHOLD). THE VIOLIN DIAGRAMS IN PANELS C AND F SHOW BOOTSTRAPPED INTERCEPTS. THE ASTERISKS REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BEFORE AND AFTER THE ARIDITY THRESHOLD AT P < 0.001 USING THE MANN-WHITNEY U TEST.

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CREDIT: ©SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

This study is led by Dr. Jian-Sheng Ye from Lanzhou University, China.

Crossing certain aridity thresholds in global drylands can lead to abrupt decays of ecosystem attributes such as plant productivity, potentially causing land degradation and desertification. It is largely unknown, however, whether these thresholds can be altered by other key global change drivers known to affect the water-use efficiency and productivity of vegetation, such as elevated CO2 and nitrogen (N) enrichment.

In this study, researchers gathered over 5000 field measurements of plant biomass. Their findings revealed that crossing an aridity threshold of ~0.50, which marks the transition from dry sub-humid to semi-arid climates, led to abrupt declines in aboveground biomass (AGB) and progressive increases in the root: shoot ratios. This has a profound impact on carbon storage and its distribution within these ecosystems.

Notably, N enrichment was found to significantly increase aboveground biomass and delay the onset of the aridity threshold from 0.49 to 0.55. However, increased CO2 levels did not alter the observed aridity threshold.

Looking ahead to the year 2100, under a high greenhouse gases emissions scenario, researchers predicted a minor 0.3% net increase in the global land area that surpasses the aridity threshold when considering the effects of N enrichment. In contrast, without factoring in N enrichment, this net increase was projected to reach 2.9%. This suggests that N enrichment can mitigate the negative impacts of rising aridity on plant biomass in drylands.

These findings carry significant implications for our ability to improve forecasts of vegetation responses to change in aridity, nitrogen and CO2.

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See the article: https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad242

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JOURNAL

National Science Review

DOI

10.1093/nsr/nwad242 

Measured plant aboveground biomass (a) and comparisons of aridity threshold values (b) under ambient and nitrogen (N) enrichment treatments (n = 167 sites). Remotely sensed and random forest model-simulated leaf area index (c), and comparisons of aridity threshold values (d) under high (401 ppm) and low (341 ppm) CO2 levels. The two comparisons are based on paired datasets of high vs. low N/CO2 levels. Data were log-transformed to conform to normality. Box plots in (b) and (d) show the median, upper and lower quartiles, with outlier values represented by black dots. Different letters indicate significant differences in aridity thresholds between high versus low N levels (p < 0.001).

Panels A and B show the frequency distributions of changes in aridity and nitrogen deposition, respectively. Panel C shows predicted future changes in land area crossing the observed aridity threshold; the comparisons between scenarios considering (a, c, e, g, i, k) and not including (b, d, f, h, j, l) the effects of nitrogen deposition are also shown.

Changes in AGB by 2100 under the RCP8.5 scenario due to aridity changes (a), nitrogen deposition (b) and the combination of both (c). The overall changes in AGB are summarized in panel d. We include land areas with aridity ≥ 0, i.e., zones where annual precipitation is ≤ potential evapotranspiration (excluding croplands).

CREDIT

©Science China Press

 

Photonic crystals bend light as though it were under the influence of gravity

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

A CONCEPTUAL IMAGE OF THE DISTORTED PHOTONIC CRYSTAL AND PHOTONIC CRYSTAL. 

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CREDIT: K. KITAMURA ET.AL.

A collaborative group of researchers has manipulated the behavior of light as if it were under the influence of gravity. The findings, which were published in the journal Physical Review A on September 28, 2023, have far-reaching implications for the world of optics and materials science, and bear significance for the development of 6G communications.

Albert Einstein's theory of relativity has long established that the trajectory of electromagnetic waves - including light and terahertz electromagnetic waves - can be deflected by gravitational fields.

Scientists have recently theoretically predicted that replicating the effects of gravity - i.e., pseudogravity - is possible by deforming crystals in the lower normalized energy (or frequency) region.

"We set out to explore whether lattice distortion in photonic crystals can produce pseudogravity effects," said Professor Kyoko Kitamura from Tohoku University's Graduate School of Engineering.

Photonic crystals possess unique properties that enable scientists to manipulate and control the behavior of light, serving as 'traffic controllers' for light within crystals. They are constructed by periodically arranging two or more different materials with varying abilities to interact with and slow down light in a regular, repeating pattern. Furthermore, pseudogravity effects due to adiabatic changes have been observed in photonic crystals.

Kitamura and her colleagues modified photonic crystals by introducing lattice distortion: gradual deformation of the regular spacing of elements, which disrupted the grid-like pattern of protonic crystals. This manipulated the photonic band structure of the crystals, resulting in a curved beam trajectory in-medium - just like a light-ray passing by a massive celestial body such as a black hole.

Specifically, they employed a silicon distorted photonic crystal with a primal lattice constant of 200 micrometers and terahertz waves. Experiments successfully demonstrated the deflection of these waves.

"Much like gravity bends the trajectory of objects, we came up with a means to bend light within certain materials," adds Kitamura. "Such in-plane beam steering within the terahertz range could be harnessed in 6G communication. Academically, the findings show that photonic crystals could harness gravitational effects, opening new pathways within the field of graviton physics," said Associate Professor Masayuki Fujita from Osaka University.

The experimental set-up and simulation results of beam trajectory in a DPC. 

CREDIT

©K. Kitamura et.al.

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JOURNAL

Physical Review A

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevA.108.033522 

ARTICLE TITLE

Deflection of electromagnetic waves by pseudogravity in distorted photonic crystals

The potential of AI to improve cancer care is only going to grow

Reports and Proceedings

EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR MEDICAL ONCOLOGY

\Deployment of AI technologies could improve early detection of cancer and help to compensate for delays in diagnosis across Europe 

Educational needs for medical professionals will increase proportionally with the entry of AI into clinical workflows 

New “ESMO Guidance for Reporting Oncology real-World evidence (GROW)” provides recommendations and considerations on AI to report real-world data accurately and transparently  

New ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology journal supports education on the implementation of digital oncology in routine practice 

Lugano, Switzerland, 16 October 2023 – Artificial intelligence (AI) has made a grand entrance into the public debate this year, but researchers have long been investigating its potential to transform cancer care and improve patient outcomes. Dedicated sessions focused on AI (1,2) will be held at the ESMO Congress 2023 in Madrid, Spain, 20-24 October, to illustrate the strides being made with modern computing methods applied to oncology.  

Amara’s Law says that we tend to overestimate the impact of a technology in the short run and underestimate its effects in the long run. However, with any field dealing with human health, caution is warranted alongside enthusiasm and therefore, newer technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics are introduced more slowly and more cautiously than in other sectors. Examples of their application in clinical practice have so far been limited to the triage of biopsy images, mammograms, and lung computed tomography (CT) scans used to screen patients for tumours, and to some areas of cancer research. However, the implementation of these technologies into mainstream oncology research and practice has been far from uniform, signalling potential barriers that risk slowing its adoption and the benefits it could bring along the cancer research and care continuum including prevention, screening, and care pathways.  

Harnessing the potential of AI to improve cancer detection 

Building on a qualitative study presented at the ESMO Congress 2023 (3) that explored the potential of AI-based technologies in improving cancer imaging, diagnosis, and delays in seven European countries, Dr. Raquel Perez-Lopez, a radiologist at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain, who was not involved in the study argues that existing, well-defined guidelines on cancer screening and diagnosis are not applied in the same way even within Europe, for reasons that may be both economic and cultural.  

Perez-Lopez saw potential for emerging digital solutions to intervene upstream and prioritise patients for screening based on their medical records. “There are already AI-based platforms that allow the analysis of data routinely collected in electronic health records and medical imaging units, and which could support prevention and screening programmes by identifying individuals at risk of developing the disease. But these resources remain underutilised,” said Perez-Lopez, attributing this to the lack of an adequate legal framework for patient data to be used in this way. 

Controlling AI to unleash real-world research 

Perhaps less tangible, but equally important applications of modern computing methods are transforming certain areas of cancer research. In the field of cancer genetics, for example, many of the mutations included in modern genomic reports used to match patients with targeted therapies were identified by AI tools comparing the genetic profiles of hundreds of thousands of patients and making predictions about their role in the development of cancer. These technologies have also recently begun to be used more broadly to analyse various types of data in real-world evidence studies (4), which are gaining traction as a means of generating evidence in settings such as rare cancers, when traditional randomised clinical trials are not feasible, or to bridge the frequently observed gap between results achieved in clinical trials and real-world patient outcomes.  

It is no coincidence that the recently published “ESMO Guidance for Reporting Oncology real-World evidence (GROW)” (5), developed to guide scientific reporting in this field, also covers the subject of AI-based technologies. In particular, the ESMO-GROW guidance aims to harmonise research practices in oncology by providing detailed recommendations for the testing and validation steps necessary to report real-world data accurately and transparently. Among these recommendations are included considerations related to the use of AI algorithms for data analysis in real-world evidence studies – an inclusion that is necessary to capture all the relevant oncology-specific considerations and anticipate future developments. 

“In the near future, we could see AI tools transform data processing within hospital information systems and electronic health records by making it possible to structure physicians’ free-text notes and summarise vast quantities of information at the press of a button, which will greatly facilitate the extraction of real-world data from medical records to generate new research insights,” said Dr. Rodrigo Dienstmann, Editor-in-Chief of ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology journal, and Director of Oncoclínicas Precision Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil, explaining that the manuscript addresses this likely upcoming scenario in which the data used for research is no longer collected and structured by a human expert, but processed and summarised by a machine.  

“Adopting a standard method to assess AI technologies with the same degree of reliability with which we can evaluate medicines in clinical trials will be key to maximizing their benefits, while ensuring that their adoption does not increase the risk of bias that could cause inequalities in patient care.” Dienstmann emphasised.  

Implementing digital oncology into practice 

Real-world research powered by advanced data analytics is becoming increasingly ubiquitous as a complement to clinical trials, and is also beginning to spread within the regulatory agencies that use it in the authorisation process of new medicines. Therefore, the ability to accurately interpret this kind of evidence will be an essential skill for all oncology professionals in the future. The ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology journal is a new open access, peer-reviewed platform dedicated to the publication of high-quality data science and education on the transformation of cancer care with real-world evidence and digital technologies.  

According to Dienstmann, oncologists as a group are not ready for this evolution, with educational needs that will increase proportionally with the entry of AI into clinical workflows. “There is a lot of apprehension about the impact AI will have on the profession once machines outperform physicians in a number of their traditional repetitive tasks,” he reported. “We need to train doctors to use these tools wisely and confidently based on a clear understanding of their value and limitations, so that machines and humans together achieve better results for patients than either of them could on their own. ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology journal is a resource for physicians who will be confronted with the implementation of digital oncology in their routine practice.”  

-END- 


Notes to Editors
Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Congress 2023
Official Congress Hashtag on social media: #ESMO23. Follow it to stay up to date and use it to take part in the conversation on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook 

Disclaimer
Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

References
1 Special session “Artificial Intelligence in Prognostication” will be chaired by Sanjay Aneja and Anne Vincent-Salomon on Monday, 23 October, 14:45 to 16:15 CEST in Granada Auditorium - Hall 3
2 Educational session “Do we enter a new era of oncology with big data and artificial intelligence?” will be chaired by Rudolf S. Fehrmann and James McKay on Saturday, 21 October, 10:15 - 11:45 CEST in Cádiz Auditorium – NCC
3 Abstract 1218P ‘Exploring cancer care pathways in seven European countries: Identifying obstacles and opportunities for the role of artificial intelligence’ will be presented by Shereen Nabhani during onsite poster display, on Sunday, 22 October 2023 at ESMO Congress 2023.
4 “The future of real-world research is now” published today in the official ESMO newspaper Daily Reporter
5 Castelo-Branco L et al. “ESMO Guidance for Reporting Oncology real-World evidence (GROW)" ESMO Real World Data & Digital Oncol 2023; 1: 10.1016/j.esmorw.2023.10.001; and Ann Oncol 2023; 34: 10.1016/j.annonc.2023.10.001

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
Representing more than 33,000 oncology professionals from 170 countries worldwide, ESMO is a reference for oncology education and information. Driven by a shared determination to secure the best possible outcomes for patients, ESMO is committed to standing by those who care about cancer through addressing the diverse needs of #ONEoncologycommunity, offering #educationforLIFE, and advocating for #accessiblecancerCARE. www.esmo.org

Abstract 1218P
EXPLORING CANCER CARE PATHWAYS IN SEVEN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: IDENTIFYING OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

S. Nabhani1, R. Kayyali1, A. Charalambous2, M. Lavdaniti3, E.A. Stalika4, T. Ajami5, W. Acampa6, J. Boban7, L. Zacharias1, I. Hesso1
1Pharmacy And Chemistry, Kingston University London - Penrhyn Road Campus, Kingston upon Thames/UNITED KINGDOM, 2Nursing Science, Cyprus University of Technology - Nursing Science, Limassol/CYPRUS, 3Nursing Department, IHU - International Hellenic University, Thermi/GREECE, 4Lab Of Medical Informatics, Aristotelio Thassaloniki, Thessaloniki/GREECE, 5Urology, IDIBAPS - Fundació de Recerca Clinic Barcelona - Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona/SPAIN, 6Advanced Biomedical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli/ITALY, 7Radiology, University of Novi Sad - Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad/SERBIA

Background: Cancer is considered a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. This study constitutes one part of the user requirement definition of INCISIVE EU project. The project has been designed to explore the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies in cancer imaging. The study aimed to map cancer care pathways (breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancers) across INCISIVE partner countries, and identify obstacles within these pathways.
Methods: A qualitative research approach employing email interviews was used. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to recruit ten oncology specialised healthcare professionals from INCISIVE partner countries: Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Finland, United Kingdom (UK) and Serbia. Data was collected between December 2020 and April 2021. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to allow content and comparative analysis. Appropriate ethical approval was obtained for this study.
Results: Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer was evident from all the pathways studied. With the exception of the UK, none of the countries studied had official national data regarding delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment. There was a considerable variation in the availability of imaging and diagnostic services across the seven countries that were analysed. Several concerns were also noted for national screening for the four investigated cancer types.
Conclusions: Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer remain challenging issues that need to be addressed. To effectively address these challenges, it is crucial to have a systematic reporting of diagnostic and therapeutic delays in all countries. Proper estimation of the magnitude of the problem is essential, as no problem can be effectively tackled without an accurate understanding of its magnitude. Our findings also support the orientation of the current policies towards early detection and wide scale adoption and implementation of cancer screening, through research, innovation, and technology. Technologies involving AI can have a great potential to revolutionise cancer care delivery.

Clinical trial identification: Editorial acknowledgement:
Legal entity responsible for the study: INCISIVE CONSORTIUM
Funding: Foundation or academic group WITHOUT funding from a pharma, biotech, or other commercial company- EU HORIZION 2020  

Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.