AI accelerates search for disease-causing genes and treatment targets.

Scientists have developed an AI algorithm called PrimateAI-3D that can sift through millions of genetic variants to detect those that cause disease. The algorithm was trained using the genetic blueprints of 233 primate species, including humans, to distinguish between variants that can be tolerated and those that prove deadly. The tool scans about 70 million genetic variants, more than 1,000 times as large as the current archive used by hospitals. The new tool should help doctors prioritize the variants they are investigating for a specific disease and help pharmaceutical companies in their search for new drugs.