Understanding cancer at a genetic level with AI

TL;DR: AlphaFold and other AI tools are helping Ugandan researchers conduct local cancer gene research, narrowing down breast cancer vaccine candidate targets from 15,000 to 15, significantly lowering the research barrier. ## Cancer in Uganda In Uganda, cancer incidence is rising. One in 12 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Compared to other parts of the world, the age of onset is earlier, but survival rates are lower — partly because cancer screening is not as common as routine check-ups. Women here usually seek medical help only after symptoms appear. ## Early Genetic Screening If cancer could be screened earlier at the genetic level, the situation could improve significantly. Researchers are doing extensive work to identify targets that could serve as vaccines. In the past, such research could only be conducted abroad, because only those places had the necessary resources. ## AI Tools Change the Game Now, with the availability of tools like AlphaFold and I gravity, researchers can conduct research locally because the capital costs have been greatly reduced. With just a laptop connected to a server, they can access enormous computing power. The latest tools are the most powerful technologies. ## Research Findings In this project, researchers studied 15,000 sites. Using AlphaFold, they were able to narrow down the candidate sites to just 15. They identified a protein that is highly expressed in breast cancer patients. If these targets are validated in the lab, it could change the landscape of breast cancer treatment in Uganda. If proven effective, there would be a candidate for vaccine development. ## Democratizing Science Google DeepMind is essentially democratizing the type of science that can be done. Imagine cancer vaccines — this is where we see research results directly translating into public health impact, whether in Uganda or globally. --- Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exh1vwGlrSo