From Models to Medicine

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Earlier this year, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center launched a new Early Detection and Prevention of Cancer Initiative to increase awareness of and access to cancer prevention and screening services for the individuals in greatest need across San Diego County.

This is just one of many early detection initiatives at Moores Cancer Center, where scientists and researchers are moving beyond the traditional focus on treating advanced disease to intercepting and treating cancer at the earliest and most curable stages.

Reimagining Cancer Screening

UC San Diego Health dermatologist Jennifer Lin, MD, is director of the Melanoma Risk and Prevention Clinic, where patients who are at high risk for melanoma can receive total body photography to track moles as they change over time. She is now working with scientists across UC San Diego to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the process, which could help track changes more accurately and catch deadly melanomas sooner.

“Unlike other body parts, patients themselves can see their own skin, which gives us a lot of opportunity when it comes to detecting melanoma,” she said.

Lin’s clinic is part of a broader initiative to transform early cancer detection, integrating screening strategies across multiple cancer types under the Early Detection Initiative. These clinics don’t just add to existing resources at Moores Cancer Center – they elevate them to create a unified, innovative system.

The vision is bold: a highly organized, state-of-the-art screening ecosystem that seamlessly guides patients to the most advanced, evidence-based options. By harnessing emerging tools and staying ahead of the science, this model delivers a more precise, coordinated and innovative approach to catching cancer early — when it matters most.

“The goal is not just to detect more cancers but to do it more efficiently: catching lethal cases early,” added Lin.

Mathematics and Mutations

On the other side of the spectrum, bioinformatics Assistant Professor Kit Curtius, PhD, is working in the lab to take a broader look at cancer detection by creating statistical models that can predict cancer risk, progression and optimal screening windows.

“We use mathematical theory to model how cancer mutations accumulate and when a precancerous state is likely to progress to invasive cancer,” she said.

Her team’s mathematical modeling helped establish Barrett’s esophagus, a condition in which the esophagus is damaged by acid reflux, as a necessary precursor to one form of esophageal cancer. This work is cited in new clinical guidelines recommending targeted cancer surveillance for patients with Barrett’s esophagus (Wani et al. 2025 Gastroenterology).

“Our work bridges the gap between big data and bedside care,” Curtius said. “We’re combining genomic biomarkers, clinical data and AI to personalize risk prediction — so patients get the right tests at the right time.”

Another researcher working in the lab to streamline cancer detection is Ludmil Alexandrov, PhD, professor of bioengineering and cellular and molecular medicine. His research focuses on mutational signatures — the unique “fingerprints” left in our DNA by environmental exposures and cellular processes.

Alexandrov’s team recently uncovered a striking discovery: Certain strains of E. coli leave behind unique genetic fingerprints (i.e., mutations) that are disproportionately found in early-onset colorectal cancers. Even more compelling, timing analyses suggest that these mutations most likely arise very early in life — long before symptoms emerge. Building on this breakthrough, his team is now developing stool-based tests to identify young individuals at high risk, enabling targeted monitoring and earlier intervention.

Alexandrov’s group is also working on noninvasive biomarkers for oral cancer and exploring futuristic approaches to cancer surveillance, such as tracking movement via Wi-Fi signals to look for subtle signs of illness, particularly in patients who don’t regularly visit clinics.

“The challenge is to make detection more efficient and less invasive — alerting patients to risk before symptoms even appear,” said Alexandrov.

Early Detection Meets Precision Treatment

While Moores Cancer Center is leveraging the latest science to detect cancer, this is just one part of transforming patient outcomes. Once cancer is found, matching each patient to the most effective, least toxic therapy is the next challenge.

Many of the same advances in genomics, data modeling and AI that are transforming cancer screening are also powering a revolution in cancer treatment, allowing patients to get the right care faster. For example, Trey Ideker, PhD, professor of medicine, bioengineering and computer science, was recently awarded a $23.6 million Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) award to develop new approaches to select cancer treatments based on a tumor’s unique pattern of mutations.

“Our machine learning models integrate these mutational patterns to predict which drugs will be most effective for each patient,” said Ideker. "We’re looking to improve patient care and outcomes by providing clinicians with the tools they need to make the best possible treatment decisions.”

The project, part of the ARPA-H’s Accelerating Detection of Advanced Pathologies and Technologies (ADAPT) Initiative — aimed at leveraging technology to power adaptive and personalized cancer care — commenced in 2025 and will be conducted over the next six years.

In the meantime, Moores Cancer Center will continue to lead the charge in redefining cancer care — shifting from reactive treatment to proactive interception and early precision-based treatment. These efforts are laying down the foundation for a future where catching cancer early isn’t just possible, it’s the standard. By uniting science, technology and patient-centered innovation, we’re turning the vision of cancer interception into reality for patients in San Diego and beyond.

“The future is about connecting the right science to the right patient, at the right time,” Lin emphasized. At Moores Cancer Center, this future is closer than ever.

Read the full Moores Cancer Center FY25 Annual Report here!