Dr. Jun Ding and his team are using artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the discovery of new treatments for serious illnesses. They’ve created an AI tool called UNAGI, which can simulate how diseases develop in human cells. This virtual approach allows researchers to test how different drugs might work—without needing to run time-consuming experiments in the lab first.
In a recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, UNAGI helped identify Nifedipine—a common blood pressure drug—as a possible treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and COVID-19-related lung damage. This prediction was confirmed in lab experiments using human lung tissue, showing that the drug could reduce signs of lung scarring.
UNAGI works by studying how individual cells change during disease. It uses single-cell data and deep learning to model disease progression and test potential treatments virtually. This method saves time, reduces costs, and opens the door to finding new therapies faster than traditional research methods.
This technology has also been applied to other diseases, like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, showing its potential to benefit many patients. Dr. Ding’s AI tools were even featured in Nature as part of a global spotlight on cutting-edge technologies advancing cell biology.
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A deep generative model for deciphering cellular dynamics and in silico drug discovery in complex diseases. Zheng Y, Schupp JC, Adams T, Clair G, Justet A, Ahangari F, Yan X, Hansen P, Carlon M, Cortesi E, Vermant M, Vos R, De Sadeleer LJ, Rosas IO, Pineda R, Sembrat J, Königshoff M, McDonough JE, Vanaudenaerde BM, Wuyts WA, Kaminski N, Ding J. Nat Biomed Eng. 2025 Jun 20. doi: 10.1038/s41551-025-01423-7. Online ahead of print.
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Simulating disease to accelerate drug discovery with AI. Dr. Jun Ding’s UNAGI platform — and a suite of AI-powered tools — advance in-silico therapeutics, decode cellular dynamics, and streamline drug discovery across diseases. The Institute News. June 26, 2025