Researchers at the University of Surrey tested their findings on the worm pictured above. It has a human-like metabolism.
Researchers at the University of Surrey have taken a step forward in the journey to develop pharmaceuticals that slow down human aging. They have developed an AI model that can scan chemical compounds and detect their suitability for use in anti-aging innovations. (EurekAlert!)
Surrey’s AI model
Scientists from the University developed an AI model and trained it on the information from the DrugAge database. Its mission: Predict whether a compound could prolong the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)- a translucent worm that shares a similar metabolism to humans.
The worm (pictured) is therefore well-suited for studies related to obesity, diabetes, and aging.
Because the worm has a short lifespan, it makes an excellent subject for studying the effect of anti-aging compounds.
Another study of C. elegans at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China, concluded: “As a model system, the nematode C. elegans could be used for studying genetic approaches to understand the aging process, age-related diseases, mechanisms of longevity, and drug screening for compounds that increase lifespan. Longevity studies on this lower organism have helped provide an outline of the signaling pathways involved in aging and predicting their behavior in complex organisms.”
Results
The AI model detected three compounds that have an 80% chance of elongating the life span of C. elegans.
These were flavonoids, fatty acids, and organooxygens.
“Ageing is increasingly being recognized as a set of diseases in modern medicine, and we can apply the tools of the digital world, such as AI, to help slow down or protect against aging and age-related diseases,” said Sofia Kapsiani, co-author of the study and final year undergraduate student at the University of Surrey.
“Our study demonstrates the revolutionary ability of AI to aid the identification of compounds with anti-aging properties.”
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Image of Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite adult: Wikimedia Commons
