BenevolentAI (Euronext Amsterdam: BAI), a leader that combines cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) and science to accelerate biopharma discovery and development, announces that AstraZeneca presented new preclinical data on an AI-generated target identified in their ongoing collaboration with BenevolentAI. The data was presented at the ATS International Conference 2023.
The research provides further scientific information on Serum Response Factor (SRF) as a potential target for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). SRF was discovered as a central pro-fibrotic mechanism using the Benevolent Platform™, its flexible and scalable AI-enabled drug discovery engine, despite limited direct evidence linking the target with IPF. Scientists used AI tools within the Benevolent Platform™ to examine the biological rationale underpinning the target prediction and make data-driven decisions.
The target underwent rigorous experimental validation by AstraZeneca using CRISPR screening in primary human lung fibroblasts and validation confirmed using SRF gene silencing (siRNA) or pharmacological SRF pathway inhibition. These data indicate that inhibition of SRF-driven transcription of pro-fibrotic genes in lung fibroblasts might deliver antifibrotic efficacy in IPF.
