AI and Lab-Grown Organs Revolutionize Drug Development
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Israeli researchers are pioneering new frontiers in drug development using AI and lab-grown organs. Rambam Healthcare Campus is creating patient-specific heart cells and exploring bioprinted organs for personalized medicine. Teva Pharmaceuticals is integrating AI across the drug discovery and clinical trial process, aiming to accelerate development. Computer vision tools are also being developed to monitor surgeries and gather critical patient data, further enhancing treatment precision and safety.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Patient-derived heart cells are being used to study genetic heart conditions and test drug efficacy at Rambam.
- AI is predicted to be integral in designing all new drugs within the next decade, according to Omnix Medical CEO.
- Rambam is working on bioprinting patient-specific hearts and developing biological pacemakers.
- Teva Pharmaceuticals is using AI for molecule discovery, clinical trial optimization, and supply chain management.
- Computer vision systems are being developed to monitor drug administration during surgeries.
- The goal is to significantly reduce the time and cost of drug development through technological advancements.
The future of drug development is rapidly evolving, moving beyond traditional labs to incorporate advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and lab-grown organs. Professor Lior Gepstein, Director of Cardiology and Head of Research at Rambam Healthcare Campus, highlighted how patient-derived heart cells are now used to study genetic heart conditions and test drug efficacy, a significant step towards personalized medicine. This approach allows for testing medications on cells in a petri dish rather than directly on the patient, as demonstrated with a young patient experiencing cardiac arrest.
This innovation is part of a broader transformation in drug development, which historically took a decade, cost billions, and had high failure rates. Dr. Moshik Cohen-Kutner, CEO and Co-Founder of Omnix Medical, predicts that within ten years, AI will be integral to designing all new drugs. He emphasized the need for rapid adoption of these technologies, comparing the alternative to a horse-drawn cart facing an F-16 jet.
Rambam is also exploring the creation of a full, patient-specific heart using bioprinting technology, funded by a multi-million Euro grant from the European Union. This project aims to create a "digital twin" of the heart for treatment testing. Additionally, research is underway to develop biological pacemakers using healthy cells to replace malfunctioning natural pacemaker cells, a concept still in its early stages.
Dr. Dana Bar-On, from Teva Pharmaceuticals, confirmed that AI is already deeply integrated into various stages of drug development, from molecule discovery and identifying suitable patient populations to optimizing clinical trial design and supply chain management. Teva is collaborating with NVIDIA and the Israel Innovation Authority to build sophisticated data-driven models for predicting risks and streamlining the trial-and-error process. The ultimate goal is to reduce the time and cost associated with bringing new drugs to market, with a focus on validating AI models for safety and reliability.
Professor Shlomi Leibfer of the Technion is developing computer vision tools to monitor surgical procedures, specifically tracking medication administration by anesthesiologists. This system not only reduces manual documentation but also generates crucial data on drug delivery and patient response, which is currently lacking. While the system is designed with patient safety as a priority, its implementation involves overcoming bureaucratic challenges. The potential for AI to automate certain aspects of drug dosing, like calculating pediatric acetaminophen dosages based on weight, is also being explored, though complex surgical scenarios still require human expertise.