Scientists Discover New Antibiotic Using Artificial Intelligence
Scientists have developed a new antibiotic using artificial intelligence (AI) that could be effective against drug-resistant hospital-borne infections. The discovery could pave the way for the development of new antibiotics to treat other challenging bacteria. The researchers, including scientists from Canada’s McMaster University, used AI to predict previously unknown classes of antibacterial molecules and identified a new compound that only targets the extremely dangerous and resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bacterium. Traditional methods of developing antibiotics against A. baumannii using chemical screening trials have been challenging since they are time-consuming and costly. Using AI algorithms, scientists were able to assess hundreds of millions, possibly billions, of molecules with antibacterial properties, increasing the chances of discovering fundamentally new antibacterial molecules.
The study was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology and sought to urgently develop new drugs to treat A. baumannii, which has been classified as one of the world’s most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria by the World Health Organization (WHO). The bacterium causes pneumonia, meningitis, and infects wounds, all of which may lead to death. It has been found in hospital settings, where it can linger on surfaces for long periods, and can even pick up antibiotic-resistance genes from other bacteria.
The new compound, named abaucin, is promising because it only targets A. baumannii. Most antibiotics have a broad spectrum activity affecting all bacteria, which can disrupt the body’s helpful gut bacteria and open the door to serious infections, including by the deadly C. difficile. By targeting A. baumannii with the new drug, it could be less likely to rapidly develop drug resistance and help create new precise and effective treatments.
“This work validates the benefits of machine learning in the search for new antibiotics,” said study lead author Jonathan Stokes. “Using AI, we can rapidly explore vast regions of chemical space, significantly increasing the chances of discovering fundamentally new antibacterial molecules.” James J Collin, another author of the study, added, “AI methods afford us the opportunity to vastly increase the rate at which we discover new antibiotics, and we can do it at a reduced cost. This is an important avenue of exploration for new antibiotic drugs.”
In conclusion, the development of a new antibiotic using AI to predict previously unknown classes of antibacterial molecules could help address the growing problem of drug-resistant bacteria, which are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. The discovery of abaucin could lead to the development of new antibiotics to treat other challenging bacteria, and the use of AI in drug discovery could significantly increase the rate at which new antibiotics are discovered and reduce costs.
- Antibiotic resistance
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Artificial intelligence in drug discovery
- Superbug outbreaks
- Novel antibiotics for drug-resistant bacteria
News Source : Vishwam Sankaran
Source Link :Scientists use AI to discover new antibiotic against deadly hospital superbug/