Artificial Intelligence: AI-Powered ZFDesign Enables Gene Therapy By Manipulation Of Zinc Fingers
The tool has been developed by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of Toronto.
An AI program, dubbed ZFDesign, has been developed by researchers at NYU and the University of Toronto that allows for the simple production of customizable zinc finger proteins to treat diseases by turning genes on and off.
The tool promises to speed up the development of gene therapies on a large scale, and can be used to treat illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle cell anemia by editing errors in the order of DNA letters. (NEWS-Medical)
The technology, called ZFDesign, uses AI to model and design interactions between zinc fingers and DNA, overcoming the obstacle of designing artificial zinc fingers for specific tasks.
The model is based on data generated by the screen of nearly 50 billion possible zinc finger-DNA interactions in the researchers’ labs.
A report on the tool was published on January 26 in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
“Our program can identify the right grouping of zinc fingers for any modification, making this type of gene editing faster than ever before,” said David Ichikawa, PhD, study lead author, former graduate student at NYU Langone Health.
“By speeding up zinc-finger design coupled with their smaller size, our system paves the way for using these proteins to control multiple genes at the same time,” says study senior author Marcus Noyes, PhD. “In the future, this approach may help correct diseases that have multiple genetic causes, such as heart disease, obesity, and many cases of autism.”
Related Story: Atomic AI Closes $35M Series ‘A’ For RNA Drug Discovery
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Latest Alternative Investment News
Digital Assets: Ledger, Maker Of Crypto Security Hardware, Raises Nearly All Of $100M Series C Round
Paris-based startup Ledger, which makes hardware wallets for cryptocurrency investors, has raised €100m ($109m) in funding, valuing the company at €1.3bn. The round was led by investors including Digital Finance…
FinTech: Cogo And Eliq Partner To Help Banking Customers Enhance The Energy Efficiency Of Their Homes
Cogo, a fintech which collaborates with banks to assist customers in decreasing their carbon footprint as a carbon footprint management firm, is partnering with Eliq, a company that specializes in…
Venture Capital: The LSP Dementia Fund Closes €260M (US$283M) To Address Dementia, One Of The Most Significant Health Crises Of Our Era
The LSP Dementia Fund has reached a final close at €260 million (US$ 283 million), surpassing its initial target of €100 million. The fund, which is managed by EQT Life…
Artificial Intelligence: The DAGGER AI Model Gives Advance Warning Of Dangerous Solar Storms
Researchers have developed an AI-based model that combines satellite data and machine learning to predict where an impending solar storm will strike on Earth, offering 30 minutes of advance warning….