Health Australia (Commonwealth Union) – Curtin University researchers are pioneering a novel approach that combines artificial intelligence with naturally occurring infection-fighting viruses to combat a growing medical crisis often encountered in hospital settings.
Common bacterial infections, including the notorious staphylococcus (commonly referred to as “golden staph”) and pseudomonas, can swiftly jeopardize a person’s life. Traditionally, these infections are treated with antibiotics. However, many of the pathogens responsible for these infections evolve resistance to these drugs over time, leaving healthcare professionals with limited management options. This situation may necessitate the use of higher drug concentrations and alternative combinations, which can lead to severe side effects for patients.
This escalating challenge, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), has spurred Associate Professor Anthony Kicic from Curtin School of Population Health to explore a natural alternative.
In recent years, AMR has become a prominent global health concern. AMR refers to the ability of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, to withstand the effects of antimicrobial drugs intended to eliminate or hinder their growth. The swift spread of AMR presents a serious risk to the successful prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, imperiling the progress of modern medicine and the overall integrity of the global healthcare system. Just as understanding the bacterial surface architecture is vital for treating AMR, AI offers new possibilities for researchers.
Associate Professor Kicic’s research centers on harnessing the power of bacteriophages, natural viral predators of bacteria. More commonly referred to as “phages,” these viruses can be used as therapeutic agents.
AMR is projected to claim over 10 million lives annually by 2050, but bacteriophage viruses are akin to superhero organisms that exist abundantly in nature as indicated by Associate Professor Kicic. He further indicated that they resemble something out of a science fiction movie: instead of causing illness, they specifically target bacteria, infiltrate them to produce progeny viruses, which subsequently burst forth and eliminate the bacterial threat.
“Once all of the bacteria are killed, the phage has no host, so it too dies out.”
Researchers of the study point out that phages provide a viable alternative for patients who have allergies to medications like penicillin. However, the process of identifying the appropriate phage to combat a specific bacterial infection is time-consuming, which can be critical when dealing with severely ill patients.
Associate Professor Kicic is collaborating with the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre at the Telethon Kids Institute to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can expedite this process to save lives. The Western Australian Government, through the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund, has recently granted the project an Innovation Challenge 2023 – Generative Artificial Intelligence Applications (GAIA) grant.
Associate Professor Kicic is developing an AI platform called PHAEDRA (PHage bacteriA genomE Diagnostics Recognition via Artificial Intelligence), which will employ computer simulations to swiftly determine the most suitable phage from the vast array of options for each individual case.
He indicated that Australians with resistant infections are already receiving treatment with phages. Still, the critical bottleneck in this service is the four to five days required to identify the most effective phages for a specific individual’s unique infection.
“Our plan is for PHAEDRA to use bacterial and phage genome sequences to identify personalised phage cocktails with the highest bacteria-killing capacity for each person’s specific infection — all within 24 hours.
“If you got a very sick patient in hospital, they may not have four days to identify a match, so if we can do it within 24 hours, we could be saving lives.”
Associate Professor Kicic is among a group of Curtin researchers who have achieved success with GAIA grants. Dr. Zakir Hossain has secured two grants, while Dr. Md Redowan Mahmoud, Dr. Sonny Pham, and Professor Zhonghua Sun have also received funding for their respective research projects.
