“Right now MS treatment is reactive- we respond to disease flare-ups, but anticipating long-term outcomes is challenging," says Dr. Gauruv Bose. "That’s what I want to change with this predictive model.”Neurologist Dr. Gauruv Bose wants a crystal ball to see the future of his patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
MS is extremely variable – someone who’s stable today might still be in 40 years or may need a cane to walk in five years. If Dr. Bose knew a patient’s MS would become aggressive, he would treat them with more intense immune suppression that may prevent future disability. However, he can’t give this treatment to every MS patient because the risks of a suppressed immune system are too great.
To identify those patients who would benefit the most from this aggressive treatment, Dr. Bose is harnessing 20 years of patient data from The Ottawa Hospital’s MS biobank and using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create models that can predict MS patient outcomes. This predictive model would be the first of its kind in the world.
“Right now MS treatment is reactive- we respond to disease flare-ups, but anticipating long-term outcomes is challenging," says Dr. Bose. "That’s what I want to change with this predictive model.”
He’s also leading a clinical trial with an Ottawa-based tech firm to see whether smart insoles can detect small changes in how MS patients walk. This could act as an early warning sign of disease changes that aren’t easily picked up at six-month neurology appointments, and may be able to help measure whether new treatments are working, or if more intense treatments are needed.
Dr. Bose was recently appointed as an associate scientist in the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Neuroscience Program. He is a neurologist at The Ottawa Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa.
“The Ottawa Hospital’s MS clinic is one of the best in the world," he says. "The infrastructure and biobank here is perfectly set-up for my predictive modelling research, so I am able to hit the ground running."
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa and supported by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
