Google has developed a tiny syringe that can inject gene therapy and tumour-killing drugs.

Key Highlights :

1. Researchers have developed a bacterial injection system which can inject proteins, including cancer-killing drugs and gene therapies, directly into human cells.

2. Using the Artificial Intelligence tool AlphaFold, the team re-engineered tail fibres of an eCIS produced by Photorhabdus bacteria to bind to human cells.

3. By re-engineering another part of the complex, the scientists tricked the syringe into delivering a protein of their choosing, in some cases with remarkably high efficiency.

4. The team made eCISs that targeted cancer cells expressing the EGF receptor and showed that they killed almost 100 per cent of the cells, but did not affect cells without the receptor.

5. Though efficiency depends in part on the receptor the system is designed to target, the researchers said that the findings demonstrate the promise of the system with thoughtful engineering.

     Google's DeepMind AI tool AlphaFold has been used to engineer a bacterial injection system which can inject proteins, including cancer-killing drugs and gene therapies, directly into human cells.

     The team, which includes from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, engineered a tiny syringe-like device which can inject proteins into cells with high accuracy and precision. The study, which is published in the journal Nature Communications, could pave the way for new treatments for various diseases, including cancer.

     "The syringe-like device we developed can inject proteins with high accuracy and precision, which is critical for delivering cancer-killing drugs and gene therapies directly to cancer cells," said study co-author Professor Jun Lou of MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering. "Our work shows that it is possible to use machine learning to design and engineer devices that are small, versatile and able to inject large volumes of materials with high accuracy and precision."

     The study was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

     "This is an important step forward in the quest to develop better treatments for cancer," said NIH Director Francis S. Collins. "This research shows that artificial intelligence can be used to design devices that are small, efficient and able to inject large volumes of materials precisely where they are needed most."

     The study could also have implications for other diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, said study co-author Dr. David S. Sinclair of Harvard Medical School. "Our devices could be used to deliver drugs and other treatments to many different types of cells and tissues, not just cancer cells."

     You can read the full article here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23118902-100-new-york-a-team-of-researchers-has-hijacked-googles-ai-venture-deepmind/

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