Selecting the most appropriate treatment path for each cancer patient is a complex undertaking. Combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy form the standard of care for most solid tumours, but some patients do not respond positively to even more intensive treatments, which can have a detrimental effect on their quality of life. In response to this issue, MultivisionDx is pioneering innovative diagnostics technology with the aim of saving time and improving quality of life.
Spatial biology for new personalised diagnostics
Principal Investigator, MD PhD, Sara Wickström, along with a cross-disciplinary team from the University of Helsinki – including biologists, physicists and bioengineers – initiated a research project with the aim of enhancing cancer diagnostic precision. The team's research concentrated on understanding how tissue structure regulates cell function and how tissues change due to cancer.
The findings of this study have resulted in the development of a new technology that integrates data to create a personalised 'fingerprint' for each patient. MultivisionDx’s innovative approach offers a more accurate means of evaluating patients' prognoses and responses to cancer therapy.
“Unlike existing diagnostic tests, our technology combines spatial profiling with in-depth biological characterisation of the tumour and its microenvironment, and it is capable of doing this in a fully automated and high throughput manner. Our studies indicate that this combined analysis is more powerful in predicting therapy responses than criteria currently used in the clinic,” says Postdoctoral Researcher, CEO, MultivisionDx, Karolina Punovuori.
This new technology may also enable the pharmaceutical industry to bring new and innovative cancer drugs to the market.
Market prospects: from proof-of-concept to industry partnerships
The MultivisionDx team has published a proof-of-concept study in 650 patients in 2024 in the leading journal Cell. In addition, international partnerships have been established to validate these results in a multi-centre setting, in preparation for the clinical approval process. MultivisionDx plans to integrate its technology into major digital pathology platforms as an 'add-on module.' Additionally, the company aims to produce kits for staining tumour biopsies.
“We aim to bring a research tool to market by the end of this year, while preparing market entry for a diagnostic product in the following 1-2 years. We have initial plans to establish partnerships with digital pathology companies in Europe and the US. Our technology has the potential to transform cancer diagnostics,” says Punovuori.
Research collaboration paving the way to commercialisation
MultivisionDx’s novel machine-learning-based method is the result of collaborative research by an interdisciplinary team led by Sara Wickström at the University of Helsinki, in partnership with the University of Turku and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Germany.
“This new spinout company is the result of a two-year Business Finland-funded Research to Business project. During this project, commercialisation preparation of the new innovation was carried out, including patenting, market research and team building,” says CEO, Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd, Marko Hakovirta.
MultivisionDx was founded by CEO Karolina Punovuori, Head of Data Science Fabien Bertillot, Head of Engineering Janos Lengyel, and Science Advisor Sara Wickström. The company has secured initial funding from Helsinki University Funds. Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd has been instrumental in supporting MultivisionDx in the commercialisation of their technology. MultivisionDx was established in April 2025. It operates from Helsinki, Finland.
Further information:
CEO Karolina Punovuori, karolina.punovuori@multivision.ai