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UNIGE's 3R Prize recognises an artificial intelligence tool that can predict metastasis risk while minimising the use of animal models.
Since 2016, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has recognised research that contributes to the 'reduction', 'refinement' and 'replacement' of animal testing. This year, the 3R Prize has been awarded to the team led by Ariel Ruiz i Altaba, Professor in the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development at the Faculty of Medicine, for a study that led to the development of an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of predicting the risk of cancer metastasis. By applying advanced computational analysis to biomedical data, this innovation significantly reduces the need for animal models. The prize was presented on 9 June during the Faculty of Medicine's annual ceremony.
What is the risk of a tumour spreading throughout the body? The artificial intelligence algorithm MangroveGS (short for Mangrove Gene Signatures), developed by Ariel Ruiz i Altaba's team, provides an answer to this critical question, which is key to the management and survival of cancer patients. Originally developed for colorectal cancer, the algorithm predicts metastases and recurrences with nearly 80% accuracy—performance that significantly surpasses currently available prediction methods.
In addition to its potential direct benefits for patients, this research, published in the journal Cell Reports, is based on an approach that has significantly reduced the use of animal models. Rather than relying on cancer cells implanted in mice, MangroveGS directly analyses human tumour data, enabling the highly accurate identification of genetic signatures associated with the risk of tumour spread. The development of MangroveGS also adhered to the 3Rs principle, with animal experimentation used only at the final stage of the research process to validate the biological hypotheses and predictions generated by the algorithm.
This approach has a wide range of applications and represents a major innovation in modelling, with a clear commitment to the 3Rs.
"This approach has a wide range of applications and represents a major innovation in modelling, with a clear commitment to the 3Rs through the replacement of animal testing, while also offering direct benefits for patients affected by metastases," says Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska, chair of the jury and winner of the 3R Prize in 2020 and 2025.
Comprising researchers from the Faculties of Science and Medicine, the jury also included Ivan Rodriguez (Section of Biology), Thierry Soldati (Department of Biochemistry, 2019 3R Prize winner), Gaby Palmer-Lourenço (Department of Medicine), and Martina Valentini (Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine). The award organisers note that the number of applications remains steady and includes both teams working with animal models and groups using exclusively alternative methods.
UNIGE is also committed to implementing the 3Rs principle through its membership in the Swiss 3R Competence Centre (3RCC), which operates at the national level to develop and promote these methods, and by organising training courses and conferences in this field.
