Mind & Mood

Can A.I. help us find a dementia cure?

Ask the doctor

By , Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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l0725bIs it possible that artificial intelligence might help us prevent and cure dementia?

Diseases are caused by the interaction of different molecules (typically proteins). The process is greatly affected by each molecule’s shape, similar to a lock and key: if the shape of one molecule fits into the other, it can activate a process that leads to disease. If scientists know the shapes of the molecules, they can create drugs to block keys from fitting in locks, and prevent or cure disease.

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About the Author

photo of Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff is the Steven P. SimcoxPatrick A. Clifford/James H. Higby Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, senior physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and editor in chief of the … See Full Bio
View all posts by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
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