Do you know SAM? SAM is not a person, but a artificial intelligence (IA). Also called “Search Algorithm for Ligands” – or search algorithm for drugs, in French – it is the first program in the world to have entirely designed a treatment intended for humans: a seasonal flu vaccine. For this, it did not succeed alone, since it was programmed by researchers at Flinders University (Australia).
What works? What is not working?
“We had to teach the AI program a set of compounds known to activate the human immune system as well as a set of ineffective compounds., Explain To Business Insider Australia Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, director in charge of research. The work of artificial intelligence then was to determine for itself what distinguishes a drug that works from a drug that does not. “
Another program, this one called “synthetic chemist”, had the function of generating billions of compounds to supply to SAM. This was then responsible for examining the information relating to all these molecules, in order to identify the best candidates for enhancing vaccine action. These choices were then synthesized by a laboratory, and tested on human blood cells.
A promising technology
One of the treatments created by AI was finally chosen, and has been shown to be effective in animals “From animal testing, we already know that the vaccine is extremely protective against influenza, outperforming existing vaccines. We just need to confirm this in humans.”, says Nikolai Petrovsky. Human clinical trials have just been launched for one year in the United States.
Researchers now hope that the SAM vaccine will prove to be more effective in humans than existing ones, and that it will complement – or replace them. If the research is conclusive, the drug could be marketed within three years, and “the same technology that we use for influenza vaccines could be used to improve or develop many other vaccines”, enthuses the scientist.
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