Digital Cell Twins

Currently, companies like Deeplife have made platforms where you can create digital twins of human cells. This technology platform is made to reshape drug discovery and evaluate responses to new drug candidates. It helps scientists to quickly evaluate how unhealthy cells react to different candidates through computer modeling. Due to the intricate and complex design of the cell’s interior, coupled with the small changes and millions of interactions that are occurring in the cell, it has been very hard for scientists to truly identify certain aspects of diseases. However, this new platform accelerated and eases the process, leading scientists to finally answer long-held questions. 

A digital twin inherently is a virtual model of a physical object or method. A digital twin has been applied way before life sciences, where it was used for objects such as wind turbines. When you are able to model an object, you are essentially modeling the characteristics and movement of said object in different situations leading you to be able to see how the object is able to handle and react in different environments. Currently, the company DeepLife is using omics data to make digital twins of cells in computer simulation. Through the use of an in silico method, we can exponentially accelerate the process of how different cells and molecules will react to different drugs, leading to an approach that is much more effective. Through this method, it can possibly cut a lot of time it takes for drugs and treatments to be made and discovered for the unmet medical needs. 

Even though these models have limits, it helps us gain a foundation and outlines a path for our next step forward. Currently, digital twin modeling is also being scouted for its effectiveness in cancer treatment. With this modeling, we can look at the specifics of a tumor or the specifics of a patient and monitor and integrate how a patient is responding to certain treatments at different levels. This essentially gives cancer treatment and care so much more precision, giving each patient the best care possible. 

At present, digital twin modeling needs a lot of improvement to truly be applicable in drug discovery and treatment. There are several  limitations and questions that need to be answered about the current digital twin modeling to truly make it flourish, but it shows a lot of potential. Currently, there are numerous initiatives working toward producing these new models. Some include the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research collaborations, as well as the NCI-DOE partnerships.

References:

“Digital Twins for Cancer—When, How, and Why?” Cancer.gov, 6 Jan. 2025, www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/cbiit/news-events/blog/2025/digital-twins-cancer-not-if-when-how-and-why. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

“How Digital Twins of Human Cells Are Accelerating Drug Discovery.” Www.nature.com, www.nature.com/articles/d43747-022-00108-3.