MSK’s DP4All Initiative Advances Global Health Equity Goals by Bringing Digital Pathology Innovation to Low-Resource Settings

MSK has launched Digital Pathology for All (DP4All), a groundbreaking initiative to bring cutting-edge digital pathology tools to underserved communities worldwide. DP4All aims to democratize access to digital pathology innovation in furtherance of global health equity goals. 

The project is led by three key MSK investigators: Saad Nadeem, PhD, Associate Attending Computer Scientist in the dual Departments of Medical Physics and Pathology, and Director of the Nadeem Lab at MSK; Dianna L. Ng, MD, Associate Attending Pathologist; and Orly Ardon, PhD, MBA, Associate Attending and Director of Digital Pathology Operations at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. 

Recently, the initiative received significant support through three grants that will enable implementation in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Rwanda for research and educational purposes. MSK is collaborating with Global Cancer Research and Training (GCRT) and Stanford University to bring DP4ALL to low-resource settings.

Addressing Critical Healthcare Gaps

“Digitization of histology slides is increasingly important, and digital slides are essential for telepathology, education, and leveraging state-of-the-art artificial intelligence algorithms in clinical workflows,” said Dr. Nadeem. “However, the cumulative costs and requirements for multi-slide or single-slide scanners, storage capacity, and personnel make these solutions infeasible for resource-limited settings. With DP4All, we present an end-to-end pipeline to create and view digitized slides from microscope videos which can then be interacted with and shared collaboratively, all using standard smartphone cameras attached to a microscope.”

The MSK-patented DP4All pipeline technology transforms standard smartphone cameras into powerful digital pathology tools when attached to a microscope, enabling healthcare providers in low-resource settings to digitize, share, and analyze pathology slides without expensive specialized equipment.  This is an exciting breakthrough with potential to make a difference for patients around the world.”

Dr. Ardon, who also serves as the secretary of the Digital Pathology Association, noted, “As a global community, we cannot fully enjoy all the benefits of digital pathology without acknowledging that the cost of the required infrastructure remains the single most prohibitive aspect of its global adoption and use. Recognizing this significant barrier is essential to advancing the widespread exploration and implementation of digital pathology technologies, and we should seek solutions that will alleviate this barrier for entry to all institutions.”

Dr. Ng emphasized the importance of inclusive design. “This project demonstrates that when technological innovations are designed in partnership with key stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries, they have the potential to reduce inequalities in cancer diagnosis rather than drive them,” Dr. Ng said. “With DP4All, our team aims to design a low-cost platform that is tailored to resource-constrained settings that will democratize access to digital pathology, which in turn will enable remote consultation and research collaboration, support use of artificial intelligence algorithms, and enhance educational opportunities.”

Three Grants Accelerate Global Implementation

Recent funding for DP4ALL includes grants from GCRT and Stanford University, as well as support from MSK’s ai-TDIF investment fund, operated by MSK’s Office of Entrepreneurship & Commercialization (OEC). The MSK ai-TDIF grant will support refinement of DP4All’s software components while developing a hardware device to make the entire pipeline easier to use. The GCRT grant will enable implementation in Tanzania and Nigeria, while the Stanford Innovation in Global Health grant supports deployment in Rwanda.

Collaborating institutions have expressed enthusiasm for the initiative’s potential impact. “We are thrilled to collaborate with MSK and Stanford to bring transformative digital pathology tools to our institution,” said Marie Claire Ndayisaba, MD MMed, of University Teaching Hospital of Kigali. “This initiative allows us to leverage cutting-edge digital tools like DeepLIIF to revolutionize how we manage tissue samples and improve diagnostic turnaround times. By digitizing slides, we are enhancing pathology education, streamlining second opinions, and building a foundation for cancer research, thereby elevating the standard of cancer care we provide to our community.”

Olaejirinde Olaofe, MBBS, FMCPath, from the Department of Morbid Anatomy and Forensic Medicine at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, noted the practical advantages of the approach. “DP4All is a cheap alternative for scanning and storage of histological slides across Nigeria,” Dr. Olaofe said. “By utilizing mobile phones, microscopes, and internet connection—resources virtually every Nigerian pathologist has—it serves as a feasible option and a dependable backup for laboratories undergoing digital scanner outages.”

Atuganile Malango, MD MMed, from the Department of Anatomical Pathology at Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania, highlighted the transformative potential for local healthcare systems. “As a local PI, I believe this project that aims to validate smartphone based whole slide imaging in our local setting will represent a transformative opportunity to expand equitable access to high quality pathology services by strengthening diagnostic capacity, pathology training and research in Tanzania through an affordable digital pathology solution,” Dr. Malango said.

DP4All is emblematic of MSK’s ongoing commitment to applying innovative digital health solutions to promote global health equity, extending the reach of advanced cancer care tools to communities that need them most.

To learn more about Dr. Saad Nadeem’s work, visit The Saad Nadeem Lab. Dr. Nadeem’s portfolio is represented by Eric Noonan, [email protected], Senior Business Development & Licensing Manager.

For more on MSK GCRT, see here.