Name: Los avances de la IA ayudan a diseñar más rápidamente fármacos que salvan vidas
Uploaded: 2025-01-23T15:10:01.410Z
Duration: 3 min 25 s
Description: Un equipo de científicos de la Universidad de Toronto ha aplicado con éxito herramientas de inteligencia artificial (IA) para acelerar el proceso de descubrimiento de nuevos posibles tratamientos contra el cáncer, de años a tan sólo un mes.

Un equipo de científicos de la Universidad de Toronto ha aplicado con éxito herramientas de inteligencia artificial (IA) para acelerar el proceso de descubrimiento de nuevos posibles tratamientos contra el cáncer, de años a tan sólo un mes.

Toronto

The release of Open AI's ChatGPT has accelerated the development of artificial intelligence and warnings about its impact on society.

Rise of AI

A team of scientists at the University of Toronto is pioneering a faster approach to drug development by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative application of technology shortens the drug discovery process from years to just a month, presenting new possibilities for cancer treatment. Typically, drug development is time-consuming and costly, involving meticulous research, and the identification of protein structures through methods like X-ray crystallography. However, AI is revolutionizing this field by efficiently predicting protein structures and helping design effective drug molecules.

Dr. Alon Aspuduguzic and his team at the University of Toronto Acceleration Consortium have demonstrated the prowess of AI in expediting drug discovery. Last year, using AI tools, they were able to create a new compound for treating a specific type of liver cancer much quicker than traditional methods. They employed AI to identify a protein target, determine its structure using Google's DeepMind tool AlphaFold, and designed a drug that binds to it. This process was further aided by automated lab technology to refine reactions swiftly.

Although AI poses potential risks, such as misuse in developing harmful substances, the University of Toronto team emphasizes the focus on safety and the positive impact on scientific productivity. They view AI as a tool to enhance human capability, enabling scientists to conduct more parallel experiments and address pressing societal issues. The ultimate goal is to accelerate scientific discovery while ensuring the ethical and safe use of AI technology.



Los avances de la IA ayudan a diseñar más rápidamente fármacos que salvan vidas

El desarrollo de nuevos medicamentos ha sido históricamente un proceso lento, que ha requerido años de investigación de ensayo y error, millones de dólares y, a menudo, suerte. Encontrar fármacos es como encontrar agujas en pajares. Obtener la estructura de rayos X de una proteína puede llevar hasta un año. Conocer la estructura de una proteína es clave. Permite a los científicos diseñar moléculas de fármacos que se unen a esas proteínas y modifican su función. Hasta hace poco, la mayoría de las estructuras de las proteínas humanas eran desconocidas. Si no se sabe cómo es la proteína, ¿cómo puedo hacer algo? Incluso hay premios Nobel concedidos a personas que encontraron la estructura de rayos X de proteínas importantes. Y sin una estructura de la proteína, los científicos no saben qué crear. Sería como intentar hacer una pieza de puzzle sin saber siquiera qué aspecto tiene la otra pieza. Pero el Dr. Alon Aspuduguzic y su equipo del Consorcio de Aceleración de la Universidad de Toronto afirman que la IA puede acelerarlo todo. El año pasado, utilizando tres aplicaciones distintas de la IA, el laboratorio de Aspuduguzic creó un nuevo compuesto que podría ayudar a tratar un tipo de cáncer de hígado en una fracción del tiempo que se tarda en descubrir la mayoría de los fármacos. A la IA se le da bien encontrar patrones que a los humanos no nos parecen tan obvios. Usamos todos los datos para hacer menos pruebas, menos intentos computacionales para encontrar la solución. En primer lugar, utilizaron la IA para encontrar una proteína diana que pudiera afectar al cáncer. Una proteína del cáncer de hígado a la que no se había apuntado antes. Pero también queríamos que esta proteína no tuviera una estructura tridimensional conocida. Así que la estructura no era conocida. Para averiguar la estructura de la proteína, utilizaron un sistema de IA ganador del Premio Nobel llamado AlphaFold de Google DeepMind, que logró predecir la estructura de todas las proteínas humanas. AlphaFold, ¿puedes decirme cómo es esta proteína? Y AlphaFold predijo la proteína. Por último, utilizaron otra herramienta de IA para diseñar un fármaco que se uniera a la proteína predicha. Combinado con robots automatizados, pudieron afinar ese diseño más rápido que los humanos, con lo que llaman un laboratorio autodirigido. Se trata de un robot que nos permite llevar a cabo la dispensación de líquidos, polvos, etc. Combinado con ese robot, podemos realmente hacer que nuestras reacciones ocurran aquí. Así que no estás de pie sobre una pequeña llama sosteniendo un vaso de precipitados. La IA nos ayudó a ir 200 veces más rápido para encontrar la mejor molécula. Cada vez que hacíamos una molécula, la IA encontraba pistas. Es como un detective, ¿verdad? Y nos dijo, esta es la siguiente mejor molécula para hacer. En total, el laboratorio tardó sólo 30 días en encontrar un compuesto potencial para el cáncer de hígado, en lo que normalmente lleva uno o dos años. Pero, ¿existe el riesgo de que alguien pueda utilizar el poder de la IA, estos datos y las capacidades de predicción, para hacer algo peligroso, para desarrollar una superbacteria o algo así? Es muy difícil, cuando se desarrolla una tecnología fundamental, no preocuparse por los posibles aspectos negativos. Como si alguien quisiera envenenar a alguien, simplemente le daría un poco de veneno. Correcto. El veneno generado por la IA podría no ser tan útil como la gente piensa. Definitivamente, en general, especialmente en la seguridad química, nos preocupamos mucho por asegurarnos de que todo lo que hacemos es bueno. ¿Existe el riesgo de que la tecnología sustituya a los humanos en el proceso, o simplemente cambia el papel de los humanos? Así que piensa en esto como una herramienta de productividad para los científicos. Si los científicos pueden estar pensando cosas de más alto nivel, pueden estar organizando experimentos que son mucho más paralelos, realmente podemos acelerar el descubrimiento científico. Lo que queremos es que los científicos sean más proactivos para resolver los problemas que acucian a la sociedad hoy en día.

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Rise of AI