The University of Macau (UM) announced in a statement on Friday that a team from the public university worked with other researchers on using artificial technology (AI) to develop Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-based drugs for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The team was led by the university’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) Associate Professor Lu Jiahong in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oslo (UiO) and Hangzhou Mindrank Technology Co. Ltd. The research results were published online by Nature Biomedical Engineering.
According to the statement, the team “developed an AI-based virtual screening algorithm and a cross-species Alzheimer’s disease drug verification platform”.
The statement also pointed out that small molecules obtained from TCM are a good source of drug discovery owing to being “structurally diverse with relatively low toxic and side effects”.
The team introduced a “machine learning solution” for this study and screened out 18 compounds taken from the university’s small-molecule TCM compound bank, which contains 3,724 natural compounds. The statement noted that two compounds, kaempferol and rhapontigenin, were able to “improve memory and cognitive impairments in nematode and mouse AD models within a safe dosage range, thus reducing the pathological phenotype of AD”.
The statement underlined that the study’s result is a “major breakthrough” in modernising TCM, establishing an “efficient and feasible” AI-based drug discovery programme as well as allowing for a new strategy for rapidly developing AD drugs.
The study was authored by Lu and UiO Associate Professor Evandro Fang Fei. The co-first authors are UM doctoral student Zhuang Xuxu, UiO postdoctoral fellow Xie Chenglong, Deruizhiyao Technology Co. Ltd. founder Niu Zhangming, and UiO doctoral student Ai Ruixue. The statement added that important contributions were made by UM Faculty of Health Sciences professors Shen Hanming and Zheng Wenhua, as well as postdoctoral fellow Cai Cuizan and ICMS master’s student Xie Liming.
The study received funding from the government’s Science and Technology Development Fund and UM. Those interested may read the article at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-021-00819-5.
This undated handout photo provided by UM shows an excerpt of the AI-based virtual screening and a cross-species workflow for the Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery.
This undated handout photo provided by the University of Macau (UM) shows the university’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) Associate Professor Lu Jiahong (right) and UM doctoral student Zhuang Xuxu conducting research in a lab.
