IBM Watson helps develop a “super weapon” to fight viral infections

Zika virus is now widely known because of its influence on the development of the fetus in the womb. In countries where the spread of the disease has been noticed, the government sometimes even recommends that young families wait and plan for the birth of a child after the number of cases has decreased in the region. Scientists in many countries are trying to develop reliable weapons to fight the Zika virus. Is it possible to use modern technologies for this?

Our specialists believe that it is possible. We are planning to start a fight not only with Zeke, but also with hundreds of other viruses, from the Ebola pathogen to the usual flu. Specialists from IBM Research have developed a macromolecule, an organic compound that allows you to fight against viruses that are resistant to traditional antiviral drugs. The molecule was developed by a joint team of IBM Research and the Singapore Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology ( IBN ).

The new macromolecule contains three components that are able to suppress viruses. One component uses electrostatic coupling to block the source of viruses. In this case, the virus simply cannot infect healthy cells. The second tool helps to change the pH inside infected cells, which makes it harder for viruses to reproduce. And finally, the molecule contains mannose , an isomer of glucose, which enters the healthy cells of the immune system and provides a more effective fight against viruses, directing them to fight infection.
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The macromolecule in question is not a concept; it is already a ready-made biochemical compound that performed well in the laboratory. Thus, the macromolecules created by our specialists are excellent in combating several types of viruses, including Ebola pathogens, dengue fever and herpes. Moreover, scientists did not observe signs of virus resistance to this method of combating them. Actually, a similar result was expected, since macromolecules were developed to interrupt the viral process, regardless of the rate of mutation of the virus itself. The research team has already published the result of their work in the Macromolecules edition.


A vector of many viral infections are certain species of mosquitoes.

“There are a lot of viruses in the world, and all of them are quite complex. A large number of viruses have an unstable genome that allows them to mutate quickly, ”says James Hedrick, a leading researcher at IBM Research.

“For this reason, you cannot create a drug for each virus. We saw another way that allows you to change the surface properties of viruses, including electric charge. We believe that this can be a good starting point for creating a universal remedy, ”he continues.

Of course, now a significant problem is Zika virus, which, as mentioned above, affects the development of the child during his stay in the womb. Scientists have not yet tested the effect of macromolecules on this virus, but they are confident that the tool will be quite effective. The fact is that the Zika virus is similar to Dengue, one of the four serotypes of viruses. The dengue macromolecule affects the pathogen of fever in a very negative way: the rate of reproduction of viruses decreases. It is therefore possible that the Zika virus will react in a similar way. Interestingly, when scientists began their work, the Zika virus has not yet manifested itself, only virologists knew about it.

Currently, scientists are planning to bring IBM Watson to their work. In particular, they want to use the Watson Discovery Advisor tool to analyze the primary data of the clinics where they have already tested the macromolecule. “IBM Watson can play a key role in our work, it helps optimize our tools and the methods we use to fight viruses,” says Dr. Hedrick. The cognitive system will help researchers make new discoveries that will help fight viruses as efficiently as possible.

In the near future, IBM will try to develop an antiviral drug based on the macromolecule. Perhaps it will be a spray or ointment. The novelty will be extremely useful in terms of combating the most dangerous viral diseases. The macromolecule can enhance both the human immune system and serve as a prophylactic agent that will be used in the hospital to prevent the spread of viral infections.