Integrated Biosciences, a biotechnology company founded in 2022 that applies synthetic biology and machine learning to battle aging, recently conducted a study exploring the potential of AI to pinpoint novel senolytic compounds. These molecules can reduce age-associated phenomena such as inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer.
The experts discovered three drug candidates with superior medicinal chemistry properties through AI screening of 800,000 compounds, which were more efficient than previously known analytics.
Co-founder Felix Wong of Integrated Biosciences was a co-author of this research and stated that the study provides meaningful insights into the biological functions of the separate bass species.
Felix Wong says:
This research result is a significant milestone for both longevity research and the application of artificial intelligence to drug discovery,
“These data demonstrate that we can explore chemical space in silico and emerge with multiple candidate anti-aging compounds that are more likely to succeed in the clinic, compared to even the most promising examples of their kind being studied today.”
Senescent cells are associated with numerous age-associated illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular diseases. To remove these cells, Senolytics could be used; they are specifically designed medicines that encourage apoptosis (cell death) in senescent cells that don’t reproduce.
Even though scientists have identified several senolytic compounds, their low bioavailability and potentially harmful side effects often impede their efficacy.
Satotaka Omori, the Head of the Aging Biology department at Integrated Biosciences, was a co-lead author on a research paper that was recently published. This paper studied aging in fruit flies using sophisticated genomics techniques.
Satotaka Omori says:
“One of the most promising routes to treat age-related diseases is to identify therapeutic interventions that selectively remove these cells from the body similarly to how antibiotics kill bacteria without harming host cells. The compounds we discovered display high selectivity, as well as the favorable medicinal chemistry properties needed to yield a successful drug,”
“We believe that the compounds discovered using our platform will have improved prospects in clinical trials and will eventually help restore health to aging individuals.”
The scientists utilized deep neural networks to anticipate the hemolytic activity of many molecules based on experimentally generated data. This machine learning model allowed the screening of over 800,000 compounds; from this, three selective and effective molecules with likely high oral bioavailability were identified.
These compounds, which all possess an affinity for Bcl-2, a protein responsible for apoptosis and a potential target in chemotherapy treatments, proved effective during hemolysis and genotoxicity experiments. Furthermore, these compounds exhibited desirable toxicity profiles as well.
The researchers tested the compounds on 80-week-old mice (roughly equivalent to 80-year-old humans). They found that they successfully removed senescent cells and reduced the expression of senescence-associated genes in the kidneys.
James J. Collins, professor of Medical Engineering and Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and founding chair of the Integrated Biosciences Scientific Advisory Board, is the senior author.
James J. Collins says:
“This work illustrates how AI can be used to bring medicine a step closer to therapies that address aging, one of the fundamental challenges in biology,”
“Integrated Biosciences is building on the basic research that my academic lab has done for the last decade or so, showing that we can target cellular stress responses using systems and synthetic biology. This experimental tour de force and the stellar platform that produced it make this work stand out in the field of drug discovery and will drive substantial progress in longevity research,”
Techniques, therapies, and lifestyle changes geared towards anti-aging enable humans to delay or reverse aging. Examples include modalities such as alterations in the diet; physical activity; supplements; stress reduction techniques; cosmetic treatments such as Botox or fillers; and hormones.
The primary goal of anti-aging strategies is to prolong life while simultaneously targeting the factors that cause aging and associated illnesses. Therefore, these interventions aim to ensure a healthier and longer existence. Here are some key aspects of anti-aging:
Unlock The Secrets Of Cellular Aging
The process of cellular senescence, or loss of normal cell division and functioning, is being studied for potential interventions. Such interventions may include using analytics, compounds that selectively target senescent cells, and telomerase activation to maintain or increase telomere length.
Understanding And Managing Oxidative Stress For Optimal Health
Using antioxidants to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause cellular damage leading to aging, has been suggested as a possible way to slow down the aging process. ROS accumulation can potentially cause harm, and antioxidants help protect cells from this damage by counteracting their presence.
Natural Solutions For Reducing Inflammation
Aging and age-related diseases are linked to chronic low-grade inflammation, which can be attenuated through various anti-inflammatory approaches, such as dietary changes or medications. Consequently, these interventions could potentially also slow the effects of aging.
Rejuvenate Your Life With Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormones play an important role in our physical and mental well-being, yet their levels drop as we age. To address this issue, hormone replacement therapy has been developed; its purpose is to return hormones to a younger individual’s standard and possibly even improve health outcomes.
Unlock The Benefits Of Caloric Restriction And Fasting
The effects of reducing calories and fasting for brief amounts of time have been considered concerning its ability to increase longevity in several organisms. This may be attributed to stimulating stress-response cellular repair and maintenance pathways.
Make Positive Lifestyle Changes With Tips & Advice
Regular exercise, a healthy diet, stress management, and sufficient sleep are all essential elements of a lifestyle that promotes overall health and longevity. By ensuring that these activities are consistently prioritized in daily life, individuals can ensure they benefit from the positive effects of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Unlocking The Potential Of Genetic And Epigenetic Interventions
Modifying aging-related genes via gene therapy and interfering with epigenetic marks by manipulating DNA methylation and histone modifications are promising approaches to altering aging. Genetic engineering and epigenetic modifications have demonstrated their potential to change how humans age.
Pharmaceutical Interventions To Improve Health Outcomes
Rapamycin, metformin, and resveratrol have been deemed promising for extending lifespan and promoting human health. Investigated to see how they might work on various aging-related pathways, these compounds have already demonstrated desirable effects when tested on animal models.
Although many of these interventions’ long-term safety and effectiveness remain unknown, studies suggest that they could promote healthy aging and extend the human lifespan. Further research is required to determine which strategies most effectively optimize these outcomes.
As AI continues to evolve, we will likely see more breakthroughs in anti-aging research and the development of new and effective anti-aging treatments. Ultimately, the integration of AI into anti-aging research is an exciting development that has the potential to improve human health and longevity significantly.
Source: Earth.com
