AI helps researchers block herpes virus by targeting single protein interaction
A team at Washington State University (WSU) has discovered a way to prevent herpes viruses from entering human cells by focusing on a single weak point in a viral protein, Qazinform News Agency cites Anadolu Agency.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and molecular simulations, researchers identified one critical amino acid within the virus’s fusion protein that enables it to merge with host cells.
“Viruses are very smart. There are a lot of interactions, but some are critical. We found one,” said Jin Liu, professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and the study’s corresponding author.
Liu and colleague Prashanta Dutta developed an algorithm to simulate thousands of amino acid interactions using machine learning to pinpoint the most significant ones.
Laboratory experiments led by Anthony Nicola of WSU’s Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology confirmed that mutating the single amino acid blocked the virus from entering cells.
The finding suggests a potential pathway for new antiviral therapies, disabling viruses before they infect cells.
Researchers now aim to study how this small mutation affects the overall structure of the viral fusion protein.
The study was conducted by Liu, Dutta, Nicola, and PhD students Ryan Odstrcil, Albina Makio, and McKenna Hull, with funding from the National Institutes of Health.