Indian scientists are training dogs to use artificial intelligence to sniff out cancer

Indian scientists are training dogs to detect cancer using artificial intelligence, marking a new frontier in early disease diagnosis. At a farm near Bengaluru, India’s technology hub, a rescue dog named Chloe is undergoing specialized training to identify cancer through human breath samples, supported by AI systems. Equipped with a 3D-printed helmet and sensor-laden harness, Chloe is part of experimental efforts aimed at developing a non-invasive method for early cancer detection. Global research increasingly supports the idea that dogs can be trained to detect not only cancer but also other conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and even COVID-19. The Bengaluru-based startup Dognosis is leveraging AI to analyze dogs’ brain activity, breathing patterns, and body language, translating their responses to scents into usable data. According to co-founder Akash Kulgod, the dogs can perform thousands of sniffs within an hour, each sniff evaluating a sample. Dognosis aims to launch commercially next year, positioning itself as the third company of its kind globally, following similar ventures in Germany and Israel. Cancer detection at an early stage significantly improves survival rates, yet in India, many patients receive diagnoses only after the disease has progressed. The approach developed by Dognosis offers a potentially simple and accessible initial screening tool that could be scaled up for broader application. The startup is seeking commercial approval and collaborates with government medical institutions while receiving backing from venture capital firms, including Accel India. Chloe, a Labrador mix, is among 15 dogs being trained by the startup. She wears a custom-designed helmet for data collection. Kulgod likened the gear to a "doggy Iron Man suit," noting his background in a medical family and studies in cognitive science at the University of California, Berkeley. Research indicates that diseases can alter the chemical composition of bodily emissions, producing distinct scents. Dogs possess approximately 300 million scent receptors, compared to about five million in humans, giving them an unparalleled ability to detect subtle changes. The testing process involves a patient breathing into a cotton mask for about ten minutes before the mask is sealed in a bag and sent to a laboratory. The dogs do not come into direct contact with the patients. At a center called "Sniffspace," dogs test human samples on platforms equipped with automated feeders that reward them with treats. Co-founder Itamar Bitan, who spent four years in an Israeli military canine unit, explained how dogs are trained to recognize unusual scents and respond accordingly. Some dogs run directly to the feeder expecting a reward, others freeze in place, and some scratch at the sample due to excitement. Recent findings from a Dognosis study involving over 1,500 participants across six hospitals in Karnataka were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The results showed accuracy exceeding 90 percent in detecting seven major types of cancer. However, oncologists in Bengaluru, independent of the project, expressed cautious optimism, emphasizing the need for larger-scale studies before drawing definitive conclusions. In India, cancer poses a significant public health challenge, affecting roughly one in nine of the country’s 1.4 billion population. Dognosis aims to enhance proactive and preventive medicine while improving communication between humans and dogs. The company primarily uses large dogs but also employs smaller breeds such as Belgian Malinois in its research.