Column The HEALTH | September-October . 2024
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Column The HEALTH | September-October . 2024
From code to cure
AI crashes the Parkinson ’ s party !
BRAIN BITES
BY DR WAEL MY MOHAMED
Dr Wael MY Mohamed is with the Department of Basic Medical Science , Kulliyyah of Medicine , International Islamic University Malaysia ( IIUM ).
PARKINSON ’ S disease impacts around six million individuals globally , and this figure is expected to quadruple by the year 2040 . There are presently no medications available that may influence the progression of the ailment .
The process of screening extensive chemical libraries for possible medication candidates , which must occur prior to testing on patients , is very time-consuming , costly , and often unproductive .
By using machine learning , the researchers achieved a ten-fold acceleration in the initial screening process and a thousand-fold reduction in cost .
“ The absence of practical techniques to identify the appropriate molecular targets and interact with them has been a significant challenge in Parkinson ’ s research . ”
Utilising AI technology has accelerated the screening process by a factor of ten and resulted in substantial cost reductions . This has the potential to expedite the availability of novel therapies for patients .
The results demonstrate a significant breakthrough in the field of drug development . The use of AI facilitated the detection of substances that hinder the clustering of alpha-synuclein , considerably expediting a procedure that conventionally takes several years .
The screening efficiency has increased by a factor of 10 , while the cost has decreased by a factor of one thousand , resulting in a significant improvement in drug discovery efficiency .
ONGOING STUDIES
This breakthrough has the potential to expedite the delivery of prospective Parkinson ’ s medicines to patients . Although there are ongoing clinical studies for Parkinson ’ s disease , no medicine that may influence the progression of the condition has been authorised yet .
This reflects the challenge of directly targeting the specific molecular species responsible for causing the disease .
The absence of practical techniques to identify the appropriate molecular targets and interact with them has been a significant challenge in Parkinson ’ s research .
The existence of this technology divide has significantly impeded the progress in creating efficient therapies . The data obtained from these experimental tests was incorporated into the machine learning model iteratively , resulting in the identification of potent compounds within a few rounds .
Rather than doing experimental screenings , we conduct computational screenings . Machine learning is significantly enhancing the drug development process by expediting the identification of the most promising candidates .
This enables us to initiate several drug discovery programmes rather than being limited to just one . The significant decrease in both time and cost has opened up several possibilities , making it a thrilling period .
ON THE HUNT
Foslevodopa-foscarbidopa ( also known as Produodopa ) is a new anti-PD drug . Produodopa will alleviate symptoms connected to mobility in individuals with the disease .
A little pump administers a constant dosage of medicine around the clock via a syringe . The device is equipped with a cannula , which is a slender plastic tube that is placed under the skin , similar to the administration of apomorphine , a medication now used by some individuals with Parkinson ’ s disease .
Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson ’ s disease may have difficulties in adhering to a regimen of many daily oral medications in order to address the unpredictable symptoms and troublesome adverse reactions .
This innovative medication offers uninterrupted symptom control throughout the clock , allowing individuals to administer an extra dosage for more autonomy in managing their disease .
It has the potential to significantly improve the lives of those with severe movement-related symptoms that have not been effectively controlled by previous treatments for Parkinson ’ s .
The message here is as follows : Guess who the new doctor in town is ?
Spoiler : It ’ s not human ! With a future Slogan : “ Code , Cure , Conquer — AI ’ s Got This !” – The HEALTH