CSIR-CCMB and private sector firm Aganitha has signed a framework agreement to apply generative AI for therapeutic design and research in multiple disease areas, especially for malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and neurological disorders in the initial phase of collaboration on Wednesday.
The memorandum of understanding is to apply AI (artificial intelligence) solutions for small molecule and antibody design for translation of CCMB’s research and development findings into therapeutic candidates as well as design of research antibodies, said an official release.
CCMB director Vinay Nandicoori noted that “the collaboration is forward-looking in utilising the institute’s strength in fundamental research on disease biology-driven solutions. It is timely for us to forge such a collaboration to take our lab leads towards more real-life solutions.”
Aganitha co-founder and managing director Prasad Chodavarupu said the pact is a “great example” of the academia-industry collaboration needed to make a significant impact towards solving human diseases and suffering. “Our multi-disciplinary research team specialises in multi-scale systems biology, quantum chemistry, and Generative AI, leveraging the virtual loop of innovation happening between deep science and deep tech, to transform global life sciences R&D,” he said.
CCMB’s senior principal scientist Puran Singh Sijwali pointed out that controlling malaria has become a major issue due to “drug resistance, lack of broadly available vaccines, and insecticide resistance of mosquitoes. We are going to leverage Aganitha’s generative AI capabilities in small molecules space for validated parasite drug targets to predict, test, and optimize potential antimalarial compounds.”
Similarly for TB research, the research work is towards the structure-based discovery of small molecule inhibitors targeting essential proteins of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. “We anticipate this will lead to identification of multiple novel anti-TB therapeutic leads,” said senior principal scientist Raghunand Tirumalai.
For studying neurotransmission in the central nervous system, the collaboration intends to “develop nanobody binders targeting a class of neurotransmitter receptors or ‘GluD1’ receptors. These nanobodies might serve as precise molecular tools to modulate ‘GluD1’ receptor activity, potentially unlocking novel therapeutic avenues for neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy,” said another senior principal scientist Janesh Kumar.
With their small size and high specificity, nanobodies hold promise for targeted drug delivery and imaging applications, paving the way for tailored treatments with reduced side effects, he added.
