"Semantic Similarity": AI System Identifies New Drug Candidates for Parkinson's Disease

Drosophila that represents one of the models of neurodegeneration used in the lab to screen for things (both chemically and genetically) that regulate mitophagy. A new study, published in the journal PLOS Biology, suggests that the language used by researchers in describing their results can be utilized to uncover new treatments for Parkinson's disease. The study, led by Angus McQuibban of the University of Toronto in Canada, utilized AI to find an existing anti-cholesterol medication that has the capability to enhance the disposal of mitochondria, which are cellular components responsible for energy production and are affected in Parkinson's disease. The full pathogenic pathway leading to Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown, but one clear contributor is mitochondrial dysfunction and the inability to dispose of defective mitochondria, a process called mitophagy. At least five genes implicated in PD are linked to impaired mitophagy, either directly or indirectly, and so the authors sought compounds that could enhance the mitophagy process.