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AI Tackles Undruggable Cancer Protein
23 Aug
Summary
- Mayo Clinic and Sravathi AI co-developed a novel cancer treatment.
- The treatment targets the 'undruggable' GIPC1 protein linked to cancer.
- Human use of the therapy could be possible in about three years.
A groundbreaking collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Bengaluru-based Sravathi AI Technology has yielded a novel cancer treatment targeting the GIPC1 protein. This protein, associated with the growth of various cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, was previously considered an 'undruggable' target.
The development, detailed in Cell Reports, focused on GIPC1's PDZ domain, which interacts with multiple proteins, making conventional targeting difficult. Experts from Sravathi AI noted that problems in GIPC1 expression can enable cancer cells to grow excessively or invade other tissues.
Utilizing generative AI, predictive analytics, and computational modeling, the team identified a specific small molecule inhibitor named GIPCi. This AI-driven approach successfully narrowed down thousands of potential molecules to a viable candidate.
Research on GIPCi began in 2023 and was completed in approximately five months. Following preclinical and animal trials by Mayo Clinic, the therapy could potentially be available for human use in about three years. This advancement demonstrates AI's potential in discovering new therapeutic opportunities against historically intractable targets.
