UNIGE Awards 2026 3R Prize for AI Tool Predicting Cancer Metastasis Risk

The prize, presented June 9 at the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine’s annual ceremony, honors the development of MangroveGS, an AI algorithm that predicts cancer metastasis risk.

The University of Geneva has awarded its 2026 3R Prize—recognizing research that reduces, refines, or replaces animal testing—to the team led by Professor Ariel Ruiz i Altaba of the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Genetic Medicine and Development.

Originally designed for colorectal cancer, MangroveGS predicts metastases and recurrences with nearly 80% accuracy, outperforming existing prediction methods. The tool, described in a study published in Cell Reports, works by analyzing human tumor data directly rather than relying on cancer cells implanted in mice, allowing it to identify genetic signatures linked to tumor spread. Animal experiments were used only at the final validation stage, in line with the 3Rs principle.

Jury chair Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska, herself a 3R Prize winner in 2020 and 2025, called the work “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.” The jury also included researchers Ivan Rodriguez, Thierry Soldati, Gaby Palmer-Lourenço, and Martina Valentini.

The tool could also be used for other applications.

➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 From left to right: Aravind Srinivasan (co-lead author), Arwen Conod (co-lead author) and Ariel Ruiz i Altaba (study lead). © Marianna Silvano, UNIGE