The original publication link: 

Amelioration of Alzheimer’s disease pathology by mitophagy inducers identified via machine learning and a cross-species workflow | Nature Biomedical Engineering

Recently, MindRank AI, University of Oslo, University of Macau, Imperial College London and other teams published a study “Amelioration of Alzheimer’s disease pathology by mitophagy inducers identified via machine learning and a cross-species workflow” in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a top journal with an impact factor (IF) of 25.6.  MindRank AI Team are responsible for the development and verification of AI model in this study. Professor Evandro F. Fang from University of Oslo in Norway and Professor Lu Jiahong from Macau University are responsible for the research design and biological experiments of this study.

In this study, a virtual screening algorithm based on artificial intelligence (AI) integrating multi-dimensional molecular information was established. Meanwhile, combined with the verification of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models in multi-species such as human cells, Caenorhabditis elegans and mice, small molecular compounds of traditional Chinese medicine with AD therapeutic potential were successfully and rapidly screened. In this study, an efficient and feasible AI-based drug discovery scheme is proposed for AD treatment, which provides a new strategy for rapid development of anti-AD drugs.

Li-Huei Tsai, an international authority on Alzheimer’s disease research and a professor from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), pointed out: “In this study, cutting-edge machine learning algorithms were used to successfully discover new neuronal mitophagy inducers, candidate drugs were screened by using computer, and then verified in multiple systems such as cells, Caenorhabditis elegans and mouse models expressing human P301L Tau protein, and finally two small molecule compounds kaempferol and rhapontigenin were found. It is worth noting that these mitophagy inducers can effectively improve neuronal function, reduce AD-related pathological changes, and enhance learning and memory ability in animal models. Therefore, this study identified an effective mitophagy inducer through computer drug screening and multi-system verification. In addition, their study shows the therapeutic value of mitophagy in protecting neurons and improving memory function.