the mexican scientist Alan Aspuru Guzikconsidered one of the most important researchers in modern chemistry, discovered a potential liver cancer drug, using three different types of artificial intelligence (AI).
The researcher from the University of Toronto, Canada, in statements to EFE quoted in a report published on the website of Latin Usassured that AI can speed up and make the development of medicines cheaper after discovering this remedy.
Aspuru Guzik was able to reduce the study time to discover a molecule that can potentially treat liver cancer from one year to one month.
“That’s what’s fabulous. The artificial intelligence it sped up that initial process, which typically takes six months to a year, to a month. That encourages us that if we continue to use artificial intelligence in other areas of drug development, we can continue to compressing times, lowering costs and making medicine more accessible”, stated the expert.
What types of AI did the scientist use?
The Mexican, with the help of his work team and the company Insilico Medicina, used the AI platforms of PandaOmics, AlphaFold and Chemistry42 to make the discovery.
With PandaOmics, were able to identify weak spots in hepatocellular carcinoma cancer proteins. Meanwhile, with AlphaFord, identified the structure of the molecule that could attack proteins. Finally, with Chemistry42, generated the molecule that was later tested with live cells to show that it did indeed slow the growth of cancer.
Now, the experts will have to carry out clinical tests with animals and later with humans to verify that the discovered molecule would indeed produce an effective medicine against liver cancer.
“develop a medicine like that, in general, it is a process that can take a decade and 2 billion dollars. Any process we can use to speed up that long road will obviously go a long way for the humanity”, highlighted Alan Aspuru Guzik.
