AI Helped Researchers Block a Virus Before Infection Began
Washington State University researchers identified a critical molecular interaction that viruses depend on to enter human cells, offering a new target for antiviral therapies that intervene before infection begins. Using artificial intelligence and molecular simulations, they analyzed thousands of interactions within the herpes virus fusion protein glycoprotein B (gB), pinpointing a single essential interaction. Altering this interaction in lab tests stopped the virus from entering cells. This approach, which replaces time-consuming trial and error with rapid computational screening, could be extended to other diseases involving abnormal protein interactions, such as Alzheimer's. Their findings demonstrate that AI can efficiently uncover key molecular targets, potentially transforming treatments by enabling the development of drugs that block viral entry or intervene in other protein-driven diseases.
