Start-Up Uses A.I.-Designed Viruses to Treat Patient With Drug-Resistant Infection
For the first time, scientists have administered an artificial intelligence-designed virus to a human patient. Researchers announced on Tuesday that a start-up called Radical Numerics created a customized virus—known as a phage—to target a patient's severe, drug-resistant bacterial infection.
Phages are viruses that attack bacteria and have experienced a renaissance as global antibiotic resistance grows. Traditional phage therapy requires hunting through nature for viruses that match a specific bacterial strain, a time-consuming process. To bypass this barrier, researchers used an A.I. model named Omnii, developed by founders who previously worked on genomic models like Evo 2 at the Arc Institute, to design tailored variants of the T7 phage.
According to Radical Numerics, Omnii generated new viral genes that altered the leg-like structures of the T7 phage, allowing them to latch onto and kill the stubborn E. coli strain infecting the patient. After safety tests, the company provided the engineered phages to doctors. Company officials stated that the Food and Drug Administration authorized the clinical trial.
Because of patient confidentiality requirements, Radical Numerics has not disclosed details about the patient or the attending physicians. The technical report posted on the company's website has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal. Outside experts have greeted the announcement with a mix of curiosity and caution, noting that while the application of A.I. in medicine is promising, they will reserve judgment until the trial is completed and the results can be independently examined.
