Early Data Indicates an A.I. Generated Drug Could Slow Aging
NY Times
Artificial intelligence was used to help develop a drug candidate, rentosertib, for a rare lung condition. Its maker says the drug also seems to reduce the biological hallmarks of age.
Last year, a clinical trial conducted by Insilico Medicine, a company that aims to accelerate drug discovery using artificial intelligence, indicated that one of its drug candidates could help treat patients suffering from a chronic lung disease.
Now, the company says that data from the same clinical trial shows a more intriguing possibility: that the drug could also slow the aging process.
The molecular structure of the drug, called rentosertib, was generated with the assistance of A.I. Results of the new study, published Monday in the journal Nature Biotechnology, show that the drug reduced the biological markers of age as measured by six “aging clocks,” a different kind of A.I. technology designed to predict a person’s morbidity and mortality.
This elaborate clinical trial is a milestone in the widespread effort to improve health care using the same A.I. techniques that underpin popular chatbots like ChatGPT and image generators like Midjourney. Insilico is just one of many start-ups, tech giants and academic labs working to accelerate drug discovery and hone other medical tasks with help from these methods.
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