Coeliac UK and Innovate UK have announced a new funding award of £180k to develop an AI tool to help and speed up the diagnosis of coeliac disease.
The funding will support Lyzeum Ltd, with a multi-disciplinary team of mathematicians and pathologists from both the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh.
With access to a large database of images of small intestinal biopsies, the funding will allow the researchers to develop a digital pathology tool to help with the diagnosis of coeliac disease using an algorithm aimed to help diagnose biopsies as diseased or normal.
Hilary Croft, CEO of Coeliac UK said: “This new research is a tremendous step forward to potentially help speed up one element of the diagnosis journey, reduce subjectivity and improve accuracy.”
“Pioneering research is essential to aid in developing new testing methods and we are thrilled to have combined forces with Innovate UK once again to advance our knowledge and support innovation that can improve the lives of people with coeliac disease.”
Richard Hebdon, Head of Health and Medicine at Innovate UK, said: “This new research will not only help improve, but also speed up diagnoses of one of the most undiagnosed chronic conditions in the UK.”
Coeliac UK and Innovate UK have supported other projects over the past year, which include a new test to provide a less invasive way of diagnosing coeliac disease and the development of three new plant proteins.
The organisations have also supported the development of software tools to support the ongoing management of coeliac disease, so that those who need additional care receive access to support when they need it.
