New Delhi: For years, the debate around AI has swung between excitement and anxiety, but researchers are now putting this technology to work on humanity's toughest challenge -- the mysteries of cancer.

At the centre of one such effort is Debarka Sengupta, associate dean of Innovation, Research and Development, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), who is using AI and genomics to detect cancer earlier, understand how tumours behave and help doctors choose treatments tailored to individual patients.

Rather than viewing cancer as a single disease or a mutation in one gene, Sengupta's laboratory studies it as a complex biological system by combining molecular biology, genomics, single-cell analysis, microfluidics and AI.

"The aim is to detect weak cancer signals that are often hidden in blood, tissue or massive biological datasets and turn them into information that doctors can actually use," Sengupta told PTI.

Traditionally, cancer research has focused on studying one gene or one biomarker at a time. AI, he explained, allows researchers to analyse thousands of genes, different cell types and clinical records simultaneously, uncovering patterns that would be almost impossible to identify manually.

"The real value of AI is not just speed. It helps researchers discover patterns that would be extremely difficult to see manually, especially when the signal is distributed across thousands of genes, many cell types and multiple experimental systems," he said.

Source: ET HealthWorld – July 9, 2026