{
  "id": 11295996,
  "title": "Could digital twins test medical treatments for critically ill patients?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/could-digital-twins-test-medical-treatments-for-critically-ill",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-01T21:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91616819/could-digital-twins-test-medical-treatments-for-critically-ill-patients"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Every day, doctors in intensive care units face critical decisions about medical treatments that can save or endanger patients' lives. Unusual immune responses add to the complexity of this challenging task. Now, a University of Vermont-led project could provide a solution. The school has been awarded up to $38 million in funding, making it the institution's largest grant ever. The Reprogramming Severe Critical Illness Using Extensible Digital Twins project, or ReSCUED, will be headed by trauma surgeon Dr. Gary An. Digital twins are computer models that use real-time data to mirror their physical counterparts, enabling predictions of how the real-world object might behave under various conditions. Sepsis, a potentially lethal condition where the immune system overreacts to an infection, is used as an example. An notes that sepsis is a significant healthcare issue and will only worsen due to the aging population and medical advancements that keep people alive. In ICUs, sometimes the body becomes trapped in an immune dysfunction cycle, and doctors are uncertain how to help. The digital twins aim to assist in such scenarios. Over five years, the project will use patient data, including medical records and frequent blood samples, to create models that accurately represent each individual's immune reactions. Researchers will then test treatment strategies using these digital twins before administering the treatments to patients. Clinical partners from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersking School of Medicine, and Washington University School of Medicine will collect participant data. Additionally, med-tech companies DNA Medicine Institute and InflammaSense will provide testing and monitoring tools. By the end of the project, researchers anticipate a platform that will empower doctors to make informed decisions about treatments that cater to each patient's unique response, ultimately enhancing their health outcomes.",
  "summary": "Every day, clinicians in ICUs make high-stakes decisions about medical treatments that keep their patients alive. Variables like unusual immune responses can make that job more complicated. But now, a project led by the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine aims to find out if digital twins can help. The university has been awarded up to $38 million in funding from the Advanced…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}