Lunit Member Benefit

Lunit Research Program — Exclusively for
SITC Members

Research access to Lunit SCOPE® IO for quantitative immune phenotyping, TIL, and TME analysis from H&E WSIs

Apply/Contact Lunit

Program overview and background

This Lunit research program aims to enhance studies led by SITC members by enabling the use of AI for TME profiling, including quantitative immune phenotyping (IP) via three (3) IP classification - inflamed, excluded, desert.

Lunit, a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer testing, has developed Lunit SCOPE IO® to quantify histology from H&E WSIs, including assessment of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs), and immune phenotypes. Other features identified which can be used for biomarker formation include tertiary lymphoid structures, macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and mitosis.

These biomarkers have shown correlation with immune checkpoint inhibitor response in multiple tumor types (Shen et al, JITC 2024, Park et al JCO 2022), and in many other clinical settings.

The program will accept applications from SITC members for analysis of H&E slides for research studies, to assess biomarkers in the tumor microenvironment. An overview is included, and publications utilizing Lunit SCOPE IO are here.

SITC does not endorse any specific AI technology for TME profiling and is partnering with Lunit to extend a unique offering to the SITC membership.

eligibility criteria

  • Applicants must be a SITC member in good standing at time of submission (i.e., current in dues). Members within any SITC member category are eligible to apply. Please see the SITC member webpage for more details.
  • Hold an MD, PhD, or combined MD/PhD degree.
  • Currently hold a position at an academic cancer center as a faculty member, research scientist, postdoctoral fellow, resident or comparable position.
  • Applicants must be affiliated with an academic or non-profit research institution. Applicants with primary appointment within for-profit institutions are not eligible to apply.
  • Principal Investigators (PIs) should have a strong background in oncology, pathology, immunology, or related fields.
  • Analyses for clinical trials proposed may be retrospective or prospective.
    • Investigators may need to provide evidence of appropriate regulatory compliance/approvals and GCP adherence.
  • Study should be focused on Immunotherapy for cancer.

Sample, Scanner types

  • H&E slide images from biopsy, resection, or TMA, manufactured by standard protocols. A single slide for each patient is sufficient. Multiple slides for a patient are also acceptable. For this program, human specimens from any solid tumor type (i.e. not mouse) are required.
  • Slides imaged at 40x magnification (<0.3mpp).
  • Acceptable scanner types-/-file formats: .svs (by Aperio); .mrxs (by 3DHistech); .tif (by Trestle or Generic tiled TIFF); .ndpi (by Hamamatsu); .bif (by Roche Ventana); .isyntax (by Philips). Lunit can assist with slide scanning if needed.

Application process

The applications will be reviewed and selected entirely by Lunit at the company's discretion following validation of SITC membership. Applicants must submit a brief study outline (1-2 pages) outlining the proposed / performed study and opportunity for biomarker formation using Lunit SCOPE IO, as well as a CV of the principal investigator.


Resources Provided

  • Access to Lunit SCOPE IO at no cost
  • If needed, slide scanning services for pathology slides, at cost

Desired Outcome

  • Peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations detailing study findings using Lunit SCOPE IO

Timeline

  • Application submission period: Feb. 1—April 30
  • Review process and notifications by Lunit: 2-3 months
  • Project start date: Thereafter
  • Analysis Turn Around Time: ~5-10 business days from receiving WSIs

proposal review criteria

Applications will be evaluated entirely by Lunit. SITC will verify the membership status of applicants. Following verification, Lunit carries full responsibility for evaluation of the applicants. Lunit will base its evaluation on the following criteria:

  • Scientific merit and innovation
  • Feasibility of the proposed or existing outcome of the performed study and relevance of Lunit SCOPE IO analysis
  • Credentials and expertise of principal investigator and research team

Submission and contact information

To apply, and for inquiries related to this opportunity, please contact Siraj Ali, MD, PhD: