Scientists from Switzerland and Belgium have developed a new technology that precisely edits the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of genes using artificial intelligence (AI). It is expected to create more accurate human disease models in the future and serve as a foundation for safe next-generation gene therapies.
Soeren Lienkamp, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, noted, "Just as meteorologists use AI to predict the weather, we have developed a technology that uses AI to predict how cells will respond to gene editing," as published on the 12th in the international journal "Nature Biotechnology." This research also involved the University of Zurich in Switzerland and Ghent University in Belgium.
DNA genetic information varies according to how the four bases are arranged. Gene editing is a method of cutting and changing the letters that make up genes or the sentences they are consolidated into within the DNA. While gene editing can fundamentally block diseases, if it is not done with precision, it can create unintended mutations. Unexpected mutations can occur during the process when the DNA is cut and the cells attempt to repair it themselves.
To address the inaccuracies in gene editing, the research team created an AI-based prediction tool called Pythia. Pythia is named after the priestess who predicted the future at the ancient Greek Oracle of Delphi.
The research team trained the AI to learn the process by which cells repair DNA, enabling it to identify consistent patterns. Once the training was completed, the AI could predict millions of scenarios for how cells would repair the cut DNA. Professor Lienkamp explained, "Predicting how cells will respond to gene editing is essential for using gene editing in patient treatment."
Based on the AI's predictions, the research team also devised a type of molecular adhesive that induces precise changes when cells repair DNA. This substance helps the pieces that make up DNA stick together at the correct locations.
The technology developed this time showed very high accuracy in experiments with human cells. It has also been validated in small tropical frogs and live mice, which are often used in biomedical research, and successfully edited the DNA of mouse brain cells.
Professor Lienkamp said, "What we are most excited about is not just the technology itself but the possibilities it opens up," adding that "Pythia will play a crucial role in developing safe and effective gene therapies for various intractable diseases, including neurological disorders."
References
Nature Biotechnology (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-025-02771-0