A team of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has used artificial intelligence (AI) to design new antibiotics that could combat drug-resistant superbugs like gonorrhoea and MRSA. The AI algorithm generated over 36 million possible compounds, which were then screened for antimicrobial properties.
Two potential antibiotics, NG1 and DN1, were found to be effective against both gonorrhoea and MRSA infections. These compounds work by disrupting bacterial cell membranes, a novel mechanism of action that differs from existing antibiotics.
The discovery has raised hopes that this new approach could re-energize the antibiotic development pipeline, which has been stagnant due to the high risk of failure and cost involved. With further testing, including clinical trials, these new antibiotics could provide a solution to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance, which causes nearly five million deaths worldwide each year.
The research was published in the scientific journal Cell, and the lead author noted that this approach allows for the exploration of “underexplored areas of chemical space” to uncover novel mechanisms of action. With AI taking on some of the risk of failure, this breakthrough could be a significant step towards finding new antibiotics to combat superbugs.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/ai-used-to-design-antibiotics-that-can-combat-drug-resistant-superbugs-gonorrhoea-and-mrsa-13411735