Policy & Regulation
Owkin Powers a New Era in Oncology Research with MOSAIC An Unprecedented USD 50m Spatial Atlas of Cancer Cells
5 June 2023 - - AI biotech company Owkin, spatial biology specialist Nanostring (NASDAQ: NSTG) and cancer research institutions University of Pittsburgh, Gustave Roussy, Lausanne University Hospital, Uniklinikum Erlangen/Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin are launching MOSAIC (Multi Omic Spatial Atlas In Cancer) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting (booth #4037), the principals said.

MOSAIC is a landmark USD 50m project to revolutionize cancer research through the use of spatial omics, a set of cutting-edge technologies that offer unprecedented information on the structure of tumors.

Spatial omics allows researchers to examine tumors at a near single-cell resolution, while revealing the location and molecular activity of tumor and immune cells.

It provides a detailed map of molecular interactions, allowing scientists to decipher key relationships between a tumor and its environment.

By generating and analyzing unprecedented amounts of spatial omics data in combination with multimodal patient data and artificial intelligence, MOSAIC aims to unlock the next wave of treatments for some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers.

The first initiative of its kind using spatial omics technology, MOSAIC holds the potential to open a new field in oncology treatment research.

Collaborating with Gustave Roussy, the University of Pittsburgh through the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Lausanne University Hospital, Uniklinikum Erlangen/Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NanoString Technologies and other providers of analytical instrumentation and assays for spatial biology, Owkin will invest USD 50m to build MOSAIC.

It will use 7,000 tumor samples from patients, making it over 100 times larger than any existing spatial omics datasets. Owkin and the MOSAIC partners will mine this resource for immune-oncology disease subtypes in pursuit of biomarkers and novel therapies.

Spatially resolved molecular profiling (also known as spatial omics), recognized as Method of the Year by Nature Methods, is an advanced group of technologies for quantifying and localizing molecular expression that offers scientists an unparalleled view of tumor structures at near single-cell resolution, revealing interactions between tumor and non-tumor cells.

By measuring a molecule's expression and mapping it back to its location within the tumor sample, spatial omics allows researchers to 'zoom in' on tumor heterogeneity, cell-cell communication, and tumor-immune system interactions.

This innovative approach is set to catalyze unprecedented scientific breakthroughs and transform our fundamental understanding of disease mechanisms.

Following the analysis of patient data from research centers using NanoString's spatial omics technology, combined with RNA-seq, proteomics, histology and other medical data, Owkin will develop a data platform and employ its machine learning expertise, including deep neural networks, to uncover novel cancer biology and potential therapies.

MOSAIC will initially focus on multiple cancers with unmet medical needs, including non-small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, ovarian cancer, glioblastoma, mesothelioma, and bladder cancer.

After an initial research period, MOSAIC and its standardized data generation and analysis methods will be made accessible to the global biomedical community, further propelling advancements in oncology research.

By utilizing spatial omics technology and AI, MOSAIC enables researchers to examine cancer tumors at nearly single-cell resolution, providing unprecedented insights into the structure, molecular interactions, and cell-to-cell communication within tumors.

This detailed information can help scientists better understand complex biological processes and develop more targeted and effective treatments for challenging cancers.

MOSAIC's scale significantly surpasses existing spatial omics studies. Previous efforts are too small by two orders of magnitude to drive breakthroughs.

Presently, most studies involving these data modalities are constrained by sample sizes, typically fewer than 50. In contrast, MOSAIC will analyze data from 7,000 patients, enabling scientists to conduct research on data cohorts that are 100 times larger than currently possible.

MOSAIC is led by AI biotech company Owkin, providing foundational expertise in artificial intelligence, data science and oncology.

NanoString is providing MOSAIC with a world-leading technological foundation for biomarker discovery and translational research, including through the use of NanoString's GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler and CosMx Spatial Molecular Imager platforms.

Owkin is an AI biotechnology company that uses AI to find the right treatment for every patient.

Owkin was co-founded by Thomas Clozel MD, a former assistant professor in clinical onco-hematology, and Gilles Wainrib, a pioneer in the field of machine learning in biology, in 2016.

Owkin has raised over USD 300m and became a unicorn through investments from leading biopharma companies (Sanofi and BMS) and venture funds (Fidelity, GV and BPI, among others).

NanoString Technologies, a specialist in spatial biology, offers an ecosystem of innovative discovery and translational research solutions, empowering our customers to map the universe of biology.

The GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler, cited in approximately 230 peer-reviewed publications, is a flexible and consistent solution combining the power of whole tissue imaging with gene expression and protein data for spatial whole transcriptomics and proteomics from one FFPE slide.

The CosMx Spatial Molecular Imager is an FFPE-compatible, single-cell imaging platform powered by spatial multi omics enabling researchers to map single cells in their native environments to extract deep biological insights and novel discoveries from one experiment.

The AtoMx Spatial Informatics Platform is a cloud-based informatics solution with advanced analytics and global collaboration capabilities, enabling powerful spatial biology insights anytime, anywhere.

Ranked as the leading European Cancer Centre and third in the world, Gustave Roussy is a center with comprehensive expertise and is devoted entirely to patients suffering with cancer.

The Institute is a founding member of the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster. It is a source of diagnostic and therapeutic advances.
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