AI-Designed Drugs Can Now Target Previously ‘Undruggable’ Proteins in Cancer and Alzheimer’s
1 min read
Summary
A team from the University of Washington has used AI to create binders that can ‘lock’ onto proteins that have previously been viewed as undruggable because of their lack of stable structure, such as those implicated in cancer and Alzheimer’s.
The AI technique was used to design 1,000 unique binder designs, each of which can lock onto a different target.
As a proof of concept, the team used the technology to design drugs that could interfere with pain receptors.
The team also believes the technology could be used to create synthetic biology, designing entirely new types of proteins and custom binders to understand how they work.
Barker Lab’s research has opened the door to a new class of drugs that could tackle previously undruggable proteins and widen the therapeutic horizon.
