{"id":4680,"date":"2017-03-20T17:54:24","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T21:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/play-to-cure-crowdsourcing-uk-cancer-research-through-gaming\/"},"modified":"2017-03-20T17:54:24","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T21:54:24","slug":"play-to-cure-crowdsourcing-uk-cancer-research-through-gaming","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/play-to-cure-crowdsourcing-uk-cancer-research-through-gaming\/","title":{"rendered":"Play to Cure: Crowdsourcing UK Cancer Research Through Gaming"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Crushing Candies or Curing Cancer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The next time you start casually crushing candies or leveling up your warlock character during your morning commute, you might consider pressing pause and helping with some cancer research instead. Any of the games produced by Cancer Research UK\u2019s (CRUK) Citizen Science projects can immerse you in the process of analyzing cancer datasets and providing critical inputs to professional cancer research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t you need to be a pathologist to do stuff like this?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As it turns out, not really. Cancer researchers have loads of cell samples that they visually \/ manually analyze \u2013 computers still aren\u2019t good enough \u2013 and you don\u2019t have to be a highly trained professional to understand and identify them. In fact, CRUK\u2019s Citizen Science projects have developed games that enable people without scientific training to\u00a0achieve greater than 90% accuracy in identifying cancer and non-cancer cells in tumor samples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Alright, so what are these Citizen Science projects really about, and are they actually getting people engaged?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Play to Cure: Genes in Space - How it was developed - Cancer Research UK\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gHAelhmVlEc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>CRUK funds many of the scientists, doctors and nurses who lead cancer research efforts and have these massive collections of samples that would take close to forever for their small teams to manually analyze. With direct access to this treasure trove of data, and a noble cause to attract highly engaged, unpaid supporters, CRUK organized a 3-day hackathon in London, marketed as \u201cCode to Cure,\u201d\u00a0that brought together 55 high-performing hackers who worked around the clock to prototype 12 games. Each game would engage average Joes and Josephines in the process of analyzing cell samples or other critical data to help CRUK-funded researchers accelerate or prioritize their testing.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequently, CRUK worked with paid developers to fully build five games. Again, the social and emotional appeal of CRUK\u2019s cause, as well as its access to real samples and data\u00a0certainly helped get users engaged; however, much of the projects\u2019 eventual success is also attributable to the fact that the organization ensured the games are seriously fun.<\/p>\n<p>For example, some games are scientifically compelling, showing the most technically\u00a0curious users\u00a0exactly what a researcher\u00a0would see. Others help accelerate cancer research one level at a time, providing gamers with a way to satisfy cravings to solve puzzles, go on adventures, and plasma blast asteroids.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4697\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4697\" style=\"width: 451px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/Screen-shot.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-4697\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/Screen-shot-300x129.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"451\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/Screen-shot-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/Screen-shot.png 550w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4697\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Genes in Space renders microarrays as a substance scattered through space. Users map the microarray\u00a0by\u00a0collecting the substance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/microarray.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4698 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/microarray-300x129.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"448\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/microarray-300x129.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/03\/microarray.jpg 550w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">A microarray mapped via Genes in Space.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So what has come of all this?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Collectively, the games have won Digital Emmys, engaged more than 500,000 people across over 180 countries, and produced 11 million accurate analyses. These analyses have unlocked tremendous value for researchers and patients alike. For example, radiologist Dr. Anne Kilte of Oxford University relies heavily on heavily on citizen scientists\u2019 contributions. Kilte and her team are searching for biomarkers in bladder cancer cells that indicate whether patients will respond better to radiotherapy or surgical removal of the bladder. Citizen scientists play games that help them identify and map the biomarkers in samples, allowing Kilte and her team to prioritize which sample\u2019s they\u2019ll use for further testing. Dr. Kilte says, \u201cthe beauty of Citizen Science is the sheer volume of analyses that are done. What normally takes three lab technicians a lot of time and work can be done quickly by the hundreds or thousands of people playing these games. In the end, we\u2019re able to save time and money and give more patients greater confidence in their treatment decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sHe5rumYOIY\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/sHe5rumYOIY<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>What could the future hold?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is no evidence that CRUK will directly monetize these games, but opportunities to do so abound, and the organization has only scratched the surface in terms of the potential for its crowdsourcing efforts. For example, growth opportunities exist across the other types of cancer for which CRUK funds research but hasn\u2019t yet built games. Additionally, CRUK has opportunities to grow through partnerships with other games. For example, CRUK built an \u201cexclusive level\u201d for The Impossible Line (a four-star-rated mobile game), which required users to map their way through patterns of specks that reflected the density of matter in real breast cancer cells. Similar partnerships with other mobile apps could provide gamers a way to earn points for use in the core game itself, give cancer researchers access to additional data, and present plausible opportunities for CRUK to raise funds. For example, one might imagine CRUK making these exclusive levels available through in-app purchase and arranging revenue-sharing agreements with app development companies. Finally, CRUK could provide its Citizen Science gaming services to other researchers and foundations. In the interest of the entire research community, CRUK may not want to monetize this as a service, but bringing other researchers\u2019 data onto its platform could provide rapid growth in the total volume of completed analyses and give CRUK\u2019s researchers opportunities to really accelerate research and collaboration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Game over<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So, the next time your Mario loses his last life to a Goomba attack, consider saving another life and leveling up your own by joining the effort to accelerate cancer research. Go ahead and choose from one of the games below.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">_____________________________________<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Play to Cure: Genes in Space<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The mission of the free mobile game \u201cPlay to Cure:Genes in Space\u201d is to collect a fictional substance dubbed Element Alpha, which represents\u00a0genetic cancer data that might underpin certain types of cancer. Thanks to Genes in Space, over 400,000 people were able to collectively analyse four kilometres of breast cancer DNA in two years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cancer Research UK&#039;s game Play to Cure: Genes in Space\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CeEDAchrc1U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reverse the Odds<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Help a band of colourful creatures whose world is falling into decline, by completing mini puzzle games and rebuilding their magical world. Earn points by answering simple questions about lung and bladder cancer samples.<\/p>\n<p>Reverse The Odds had over 135,000 downloads world-wide and more than 4,500,000 contributions. The game won, among other awards, a Digital Emmy and received high praise from the gaming industry and scientists alike.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Reverse The Odds game: Your impact\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cjgYoostpXo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Impossible Line<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Spot\u00a0genetic faults in breast cancer data. In the lab, scientists map these faults to better understand how mutations cause different subtypes of breast cancer. In CRUK\u2019s exclusive level, players map these faults by navigating through patterns of specks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cell Slider<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A web-based app showing samples of breast cancer tumors. The images themselves usually contain a mixture of different looking cells. Some might be cancer cells; others healthy breast cells, and some might be the supporting tissue surrounding these cells. The challenge for the Citizen Scientists is to spot the cancer cells following a short tutorial when they sign up. The images are also colored based on how much of a particular molecule, called oestrogen receptors,\u00a0the cells produce.<\/p>\n<p>Over 2,000,000 contributions to date.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trailblazer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Players see images of tissue cores and mark areas of cancerous cells after going through a tutorial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2048? Angry Birds? Candy Crush? Whatever your game is, it can wait. Play a game that produces data for cancer research as you level up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":982,"featured_media":4684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[1329,673],"class_list":["post-4680","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer-research","category-crowdsourcing"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/assignment\/managing-digital-crowds\/","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Play to Cure: Crowdsourcing UK Cancer Research Through Gaming - Digital Innovation and Transformation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/play-to-cure-crowdsourcing-uk-cancer-research-through-gaming\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Play to Cure: Crowdsourcing UK Cancer Research Through Gaming - Digital Innovation and Transformation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"2048? 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