General Electric : The GE Brief – April 13, 2018

'In a few years, we'll be doing tens of thousands [of cell therapy treatments]. In the near future, this cryogenic technology is going to be crucial.'
- Tim Moore, executive vice president of Technical Operations, Kite Pharma

1. IN COLD BLOOD

In 2012, an experimental treatment saved 7-year-old leukemia patient Emily Whitehead's life. While chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant failed to stop her cancer, Emily went into remission soon after receiving CAR-T cell therapy, a new treatment that involved harvesting her immune cells, genetically reprogramming some to attack the cancer, multiplying the modified cells and infusing them back into her body.

Live-cell treatments have emerged as one of the most promising avenues for cancer treatment. The next battle involves scaling them up and moving them out of the lab. 'Cell therapy has the potential to cure everything from cancer to diabetes,' says Phil Vanek, general manager of cell therapy strategy at GE Healthcare. 'But we need to make it affordable and scalable.'

That's why GE acquired Asymptote, a U.K.-based startup developing cryogenic technologies for freezing, preserving and transporting cells. Knowing that liquid nitrogen is too harsh for the freezing and thawing of live cells for medical treatment, Asymptote uses some of the same technology that NASA uses to keep their space-bound sensors cool.

Learn more about Asymptote and other GE forays into cell therapy.

2. PORT (DATA) AUTHORITY

Problem: The ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach account for 40% of all U.S. imports, and every day, truckers endure many trials and tribulations just to move cargo out of the busy hubs. Currently, the Port of LA requires drivers to peruse as many as 12 websites - one or more for each port terminal - to find a place where they can offload their empty shipping containers and pick up a new one loaded with goods.

Solution: Last May, the port partnered with GE on a six-month trial to smooth out its logistics. Starting with just one terminal, GE deployed software called Port Optimizer that pulled together data about the locations and arrivals of ships and the availability of trucks and rail cars needed to haul the cargo to its final destination. The software ingests streams of data from different sources and harmonizes them so all users can work on one platform.

The trial was a success and the partners are now rolling out the software to the entire Port of LA and running a three-month pilot at the Port of Long Beach. GE is already talking to other ports about implementing its Port Optimizer. Learn more about it here.

3. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, REAL DOCTORS

A hospital generates enough data to fill 20 million filing cabinets each year, but 97% of that data never gets used. That's why Dr. Keith Dreyer and his team are developing AI algorithms to improve efficiency in healthcare.

Dreyer is a radiologist and serves as chief data science officer at Partners HealthCare, and he believes that AI algorithms and a smart workflow can revolutionize treatment. GE Healthcare is developing apps that enable healthcare providers to analyze the reams of data their facilities generate in order to quickly diagnose problems and propose treatments. Dreyer predicts that in the future doctors could use AI to identify entire groups or populations at risk.

Last year, Partners and GE Healthcare signed a 10-year agreement to 'integrate artificial intelligence into every aspect of the patient journey.' In a Q&A with GE Reports, Dreyer explains which steps in patient care AI can improve and how the technology will help doctors, not replace them. Read more about it here.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

We're building the world's largest load balancer-for one of the world's largest undersea tunnels.

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Quote: GE Reports. Images: GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Port of Long Beach, Partners HealthCare.

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