Researchers accelerate their search for life-saving treatments for leishmaniasis

Dr. Benjamin Perry from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) faced challenges in developing treatments for leishmaniasis until the introduction of DeepMind’s AI system, AlphaFold. Through a combination of scientific efforts and AI, they made significant progress in finding a potential treatment for this devastating disease.

The urgency for new leishmaniasis treatments stems from the severe symptoms of the disease, including fever, anemia, and skin lesions, making it fatal if left untreated. With approximately a billion people at risk globally, the need for effective and accessible treatments is critical.

Current treatments for leishmaniasis are complex, requiring long hospital stays and painful injections. DNDi aims to develop oral treatments to improve accessibility and minimize the burden on patients and healthcare systems.

“People always ask themselves, ‘Have we looked at the AlphaFold structure?’ It’s become common parlance.” – Michael Barrett, biochemist and parasitologist

Barrett’s research, supported by AlphaFold’s protein structure predictions, sheds light on how potential drugs interact with the parasite, offering hope for future treatments. AlphaFold’s ability to predict protein structures has streamlined drug discovery processes, providing researchers with invaluable insights.

The collaboration between traditional research methods and AI technologies exemplifies a promising approach to drug discovery in neglected diseases. With AlphaFold’s support, researchers like Perry and Barrett are paving the way for innovative treatments that could save countless lives.