Drug research and development opportunities in low- and middle-income countries: accelerating traditional medicine through systematic utilization and comprehensive synergy

Comprehensive applications of the artificial intelligence technology in new drug research and development

Purpose

Target-based strategy is a prevalent means of drug research and development (R&D), since targets provide effector molecules of drug action and offer the foundation of pharmacological investigation. Recently, the artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been utilized in various stages of drug R&D, where AI-assisted experimental methods show higher efficiency than sole experimental ones. It is a critical need to give a comprehensive review of AI applications in drug R &D for biopharmaceutical field.

Methods

Relevant literatures about AI-assisted drug R&D were collected from the public databases (Including Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Springer, and ScienceDirect) through a keyword searching strategy with the following terms [("Artificial Intelligence" OR "Knowledge Graph" OR "Machine Learning") AND ("Drug Target Identification" OR "New Drug Development")].

Results

In this review, we first introduced common strategies and novel trends of drug R&D, followed by characteristic description of AI algorithms widely used in drug R&D. Subsequently, we depicted detailed applications of AI algorithms in target identification, lead compound identification and optimization, drug repurposing, and drug analytical platform construction. Finally, we discussed the challenges and prospects of AI-assisted methods for drug discovery.

Conclusion

Collectively, this review provides comprehensive overview of AI applications in drug R&D and presents future perspectives for biopharmaceutical field, which may promote the development of drug industry.

Design and Antimalarial Evaluation of Polydopamine-Modified Methyl Artelinate Nanoparticles

Targeted nanodrug delivery systems are highly anticipated for the treatment of malaria. It is known that Plasmodium can induce new permeability pathways (NPPs) on the membrane of infected red blood cells (iRBCs) for their nutrient uptake. The NPPs also enable the uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) smaller than 80 nm. Additionally, Plasmodium maintains a stable, slightly acidic, and reductive internal environment with higher glutathione (GSH) levels. Based on this knowledge, methyl artelinate (MA, a prodrug-like derivative of dihydroartemisinin) nanoparticles (MA-PCL-NPs) were developed using poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-PCL) by a thin-film dispersion method and were further coated with polydopamine (PDA) to obtain MA-PCL@PDA-NPs with a particle size of ∼30 nm. The biomaterial PDA can be degraded in slightly acidic and reductive environments, thereby serving as triggers for drug release. MA could generate reactive oxygen species and decrease GSH levels, consequently causing parasite damage. The in vitro release experiment results indicated that the cumulative release percentage of MA from MA-PCL@PDA-NPs was considerably higher in phosphate buffer with 10 mM GSH at pH 5.5 (88.10%) than in phosphate buffer without GSH at pH 7.4 (16.98%). The green fluorescence within iRBCs of coumarin 6, the probe of NPs (C6-PCL@PDA-NPs), could be reduced significantly after adding the NPP inhibitor furosemide (p < 0.001), which demonstrated that MA-PCL@PDA-NPs could be ingested into iRBCs through NPPs. In vivo antimalarial pharmacodynamics in Plasmodium berghei K173-bearing mice showed that the inhibition ratio of MA-PCL@PDA-NPs (93.96%) was significantly higher than that of commercial artesunate injection (AS-Inj, 63.33%). The above results showed that the developed MA-PCL@PDA-NPs possessed pH-GSH dual-responsive drug release characteristics and targeting efficacy for iRBCs, leading to higher antimalarial efficacy against Plasmodium.

The landscape of cancer research and cancer care in China

The rising cancer incidence rate in China poses a substantial public health concern, although there have been remarkable improvements in the country's cancer mortality and survival rates. In this Review, we outline the current landscape and future directions of cancer care and research in China. We discuss national screening programs and strategies for cancer detection and delve into the evolving landscape of cancer care, emphasizing the adoption of multidisciplinary, comprehensive treatment and precision oncology. Additionally, we examine changes in drug research and development policies that have enabled approval of new drugs. Finally, we look to the future, highlighting key priorities and identifying gaps. Effectively addressing challenges and seizing opportunities associated with cancer research in China will enable the development of targeted approaches to alleviate the global burden of cancer.