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Using AI to spot osteoporosis earlier

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From building more effective malaria vaccines to breaking down single-use plastics, AlphaFold is helping scientists accelerate research in nearly every field of biology.

It normally takes four years to identify and characterise one of these small proteins. With the help of AlphaFold we managed 23 in a few months.

Professor Renier van der Hoorn
University of Oxford

AlphaFold has allowed us to take our project to the next level, from a fundamental science stage to the preclinical and clinical development stage.

Professor Matthew Higgins
Biochemist

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Using AI to spot osteoporosis earlier
27 September 2022

Using AI to spot osteoporosis earlier

Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, leaving them prone to breaking. It’s hard to detect – often, the first sign is a fracture.

But what if we could find out who might be predisposed, or at high risk of developing osteoporosis? That could help manage the condition from the earliest possible stage, preventing progression – and pain.

AlphaFold has helped researchers understand the genetic causes of the condition. This could allow them to identify ‘biomarkers’ – genes and proteins that indicate people at high risk of the condition. AlphaFold has also helped them visualise the impact of specific genetic mutations that contribute to the development of osteoporosis.

This could help scientists take steps towards fighting the disease before it takes hold.

Research credits

  • Professor Melissa Formosa, University of Malta
  • Mater Dei Hospital, Malta