From decades to years - AI could speed search for brain drugs hiding in plain sight
Key takeaways
- The scientists hope that by using algorithms to detect patterns of disease and predict suitable medicines, effective treatments could be found in "years rather than decades".
- That hope is shared by trial participant Steven Barrett, who was diagnosed with MND 10 years ago.
- Steven had been planning his active retirement after a long and decorated career in the civil service, when he began to notice a numbness in his leg.
Zoe Kleinman,technology editorand Philippa Wain BBCSteven Barrett OBE is taking part in research with the UK Dementia Institute to try and improve outcomes for those living with MND and other brain diseases Scientists are using AI to accelerate the search for treatments for neurological conditions that may be hiding in plain sight.
Researchers at the UK Dementia Research Institute in Edinburgh analyse patient data including voice recordings and eye scans, as well as lab-grown brain cells, to identify whether existing drugs could be repurposed to treat conditions such as motor neurone disease (MND).
The scientists hope that by using algorithms to detect patterns of disease and predict suitable medicines, effective treatments could be found in "years rather than decades".