Operationalizing Spatial Transcriptomics in Clinical Trials: Digital Pathology Integration and Agentic AI Workflows

June 04, 2026
AI in Drug Discovery Stage
  • Spatial transcriptomics is moving from exploratory studies into clinical-trial decision support (stratification, PD/MoA readouts, response/resistance), but success depends on fit-for-purpose design and operational rigor. 
  • Combining digital pathology with spatial transcriptomics creates a tissue “common language” linking morphology to molecular programs, enabling scalable QC, harmonized annotations, and interpretable biomarkers across sites and cohorts. 
  • Agentic AI workflows accelerate and standardize the pipeline by automating discovery of relevant public datasets, generating structured study/donor/sample metadata sheets, and improving speed, reproducibility, and auditability. 
Speakers
Emre Arslan
Emre Arslan, Associate Director - Takeda