Posted 1/29/2024, 9:03:33 PM
AI Model Designs Stealth Gene Therapy Proteins to Sneak Past Immune System
- Researchers developed an AI model called ProteinVAE to design new variants of hexon proteins for improved gene therapy delivery.
- The model is intended to create hexon variants that are unrecognizable to the immune system, overcoming a key obstacle.
- ProteinVAE uses a compact, lightweight architecture suited for generating long protein sequences with limited data.
- Simulation validation indicates the model can significantly alter the protein's surface to potentially evade immune responses.
- Next steps are experimental testing of designed variants in a wet lab, with potential to expand the approach to other disease-related proteins.