AI has brought Neanderthal antimicrobial molecules back to life to fight superbacteria

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Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used an artificial intelligence algorithm to find new antimicrobial peptides in the genomes of ancient humans and animals of extinct species. These small protein molecules can fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Here's What We Know

According to scientists, modern pathogens have never encountered such ancient peptides, so they could be an effective weapon in the fight against dangerous infections. In addition, the ever-growing resistance to existing drugs makes the search for new approaches highly relevant.

Using computational methods, scientists analysed the genetic data of Neanderthals, Denisovans, woolly mammoths and other extinct creatures. As a result, more than 11,000 potential antimicrobial peptides were found.

Six of the most promising molecules were tested on mice with infections. They actively killed the bacteria, with the Neanderthal peptide proving to be the most effective. Now it is necessary to refine these compounds to create new antibiotics.

Of the six promising peptides identified by the algorithm, one derived from a Neanderthal proved to be the most effective in fighting pathogens in bacteria-infected mice

According to the authors of the study, such an approach could significantly expand the arsenal of tools to fight drug-resistant pathogens. Analysing the genomes of ancient creatures with the help of artificial intelligence opens up entirely new possibilities in the search for promising molecules.

Source: CNN