Latest news with #TimothyJenkins
Economic Times
25-07-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
AI is being used to design custom proteins that help immune cells find and kill cancer
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design custom proteins that act like a 'GPS' for the immune system, guiding T cells directly to cancer cells and helping them destroy tumors with remarkable new research, published Thursday(July 24) in the journal Science, demonstrates how generative AI can create tiny proteins that dramatically enhance the cancer-killing power of human immune cells. In lab tests, T cells outfitted with these proteins swiftly located and killed melanoma cells, a fast-spreading and often deadly form of skin cancer.'It's like giving immune cells Google Maps for cancer,' said lead researcher Dr. Timothy Jenkins, a medical biotechnologist at the Technical University of Denmark. 'We're helping T cells find the tumor much more efficiently than they could on their own.'The work is an early-stage form of immunotherapy, a treatment approach that boosts the body's natural defenses to fight disease. The idea builds on successful techniques like CAR T-cell therapy but adds a major twist: Instead of relying on naturally occurring cell receptors, which can take months to isolate and test, the scientists used AI to design new proteins from scratch in just use of AI toolsTo create the molecular guides, the researchers used three AI tools. First, a generative model called RFdiffusion was used to analyze the structure of a specific cancer target known as NY-ESO-1, a protein found on many tumor cells. Then, another model proposed amino acid sequences that would fold into the right shape to bind the target. A third model helped narrow tens of thousands of options down to just 44, which were tested in the lab. One design stood out, and it study builds on a wave of recent breakthroughs in computational biology, including technologies that led to the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for protein structure prediction. Earlier this year, Jenkins' team also developed AI-designed proteins for improved snakebite trials are still years away, and many questions remain about how the proteins will perform in the human body. But the researchers are optimistic.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
AI is being used to design custom proteins that help immune cells find and kill cancer
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design custom proteins that act like a 'GPS' for the immune system, guiding T cells directly to cancer cells and helping them destroy tumors with remarkable precision. The new research, published Thursday(July 24) in the journal Science, demonstrates how generative AI can create tiny proteins that dramatically enhance the cancer-killing power of human immune cells. In lab tests, T cells outfitted with these proteins swiftly located and killed melanoma cells, a fast-spreading and often deadly form of skin cancer. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA Data Analytics PGDM healthcare Cybersecurity Data Science others CXO Data Science Degree Others Operations Management Healthcare Product Management Artificial Intelligence Finance Public Policy MBA Design Thinking Technology Management Project Management Digital Marketing Leadership Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details 'It's like giving immune cells Google Maps for cancer,' said lead researcher Dr. Timothy Jenkins, a medical biotechnologist at the Technical University of Denmark. 'We're helping T cells find the tumor much more efficiently than they could on their own.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The work is an early-stage form of immunotherapy, a treatment approach that boosts the body's natural defenses to fight disease. The idea builds on successful techniques like CAR T-cell therapy but adds a major twist: Instead of relying on naturally occurring cell receptors, which can take months to isolate and test, the scientists used AI to design new proteins from scratch in just days. The use of AI tools Live Events To create the molecular guides, the researchers used three AI tools. First, a generative model called RFdiffusion was used to analyze the structure of a specific cancer target known as NY-ESO-1, a protein found on many tumor cells. Then, another model proposed amino acid sequences that would fold into the right shape to bind the target. A third model helped narrow tens of thousands of options down to just 44, which were tested in the lab. One design stood out, and it worked. The study builds on a wave of recent breakthroughs in computational biology, including technologies that led to the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for protein structure prediction. Earlier this year, Jenkins' team also developed AI-designed proteins for improved snakebite antivenoms. Clinical trials are still years away, and many questions remain about how the proteins will perform in the human body. But the researchers are optimistic.
