New Delhi: A team of researchers is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to identify existing drugs that could help manage chronic pain. The collaboration, between Cleveland Clinic and tech giant IBM, uses AI-driven technology to discover non-addictive, non-opioid drugs that can be repurposed to treat patients suffering from chronic pain.
Chronic pain treatment with opioids continues to be a significant challenge due to the associated risks of severe side effects and addiction, explained Yunguang Qiu, co-first author and postdoctoral fellow at Cleveland Clinic. The researchers aim to address these risks by identifying alternative drug options through innovative AI techniques.
In their study, published in Cell Press, the researchers focused on understanding the interactions between gut metabolites and drug targets. By mapping out these gut metabolites, they aimed to uncover potential therapeutic pathways for pain relief. The team utilized AI to analyze complex compound and protein data, helping them predict which compounds could effectively target pain receptors.
Traditional computational methods would have made this process extremely time-consuming and complicated, but with the use of their deep-learning model, LISA-CPI (Ligand Image- and Receptor's 3D Structures-Aware framework to predict Compound-Protein Interactions), the team was able to predict how 369 gut microbial metabolites and 2,308 FDA-approved drugs might interact with 13 receptors linked to pain.
The AI framework successfully identified several compounds that have the potential to be repurposed for pain treatment. The researchers are now conducting laboratory studies to validate these findings and further explore the compounds' effectiveness.
According to the team, using the AI algorithm to predict the potential of existing drugs significantly reduces the experimental workload, streamlining the process of identifying candidate drugs for testing. This approach holds promise not only for pain management but also for discovering treatments for other conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers believe these AI foundation models have the potential to transform drug discovery, enabling the rapid development of therapies for a range of complex health issues.