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AI Could 'Crack the Language of Cancer, Alzheimer's'


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Fluorescence microscopy image of protein condensates forming inside living cells.

Powerful algorithms can predict the biological language of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Credit: Weitz lab/Harvard University

A study by researchers at St. John's College, University of Cambridge in the U.K. found that the "biological language" of cancer, Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative diseases can be predicted by machine learning.

The researchers used algorithms similar to those employed by Netflix, Facebook, and voice assistants like Alexa and Siri to train a neural network-based language model to study biomolecular condensates.

St. John's Tuomas Knowles said, "Any defects connected with these protein droplets can lead to diseases such as cancer. This is why bringing natural language processing technology into research into the molecular origins of protein malfunction is vital if we want to be able to correct the grammatical mistakes inside cells that cause disease."

From University of Cambridge (U.K.)
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Abstracts Copyright © 2021 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

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