Artificial intelligence has achieved a historic breakthrough by discovering a new antibiotic to combat superbugs resistant to antibiotics, an achievement that scientists had been unable to accomplish for ten years. This discovery is a turning point in the field of medicine.
Resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest health challenges, causing approximately 1.27 million deaths annually and leading to enormous economic costs globally. Superbugs, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and drug-resistant tuberculosis, make treating infections difficult or even impossible.
Researchers at Imperial College used an artificial intelligence tool to analyze their data and hypotheses about resistant bacteria. The tool analyzed the data, behaviors, and genetic mutations of these bacteria, leading to the discovery of a hypothesis that these bacteria use viral tails to transfer antibiotic resistance genes.
In another study, researchers at McMaster University used artificial intelligence to design new antibiotics. The AI system was trained on thousands of chemical compounds to identify those that could be effective against superbugs. The result was the discovery of a new antibiotic called "abaucin," which has shown effectiveness in eliminating Acinetobacter baumannii without affecting beneficial bacteria.
This research marks the beginning of a scientific revolution in medicine, as it aids in improving treatments and developing drugs more quickly. It also contributes to the discovery of new antibiotics and the diagnosis of diseases based on an individual s genetic makeup. However, the introduction of artificial intelligence in scientific research poses ethical challenges and professional regulations that require maintaining the privacy of medical data and ensuring that individuals rights are not violated.
This achievement reflects the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance scientific efforts against superbugs and represents a significant step toward developing new solutions for complex health problems