The Secret Language of Cells — and How to “Speak” It | Chris Bahl | TED
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زیرنویسها (70 segments)
DownloadMost of the medicines that we use to treat diseases today
work by interacting with just one type of protein in the body at a time.
But our cells communicate with one another
using a complex language
that involves many different types of proteins,
all interacting with each other.
This means that modern medicines, while amazing,
are the linguistic equivalent to only knowing a single word.
My team and I at AI Proteins are focused
on becoming fluent in the language of cells --
and how cells talk to one another --
and unlocking the next generation of medicines
that are safer and more effective.
We've developed a new type of protein
that's better at communicating with cells.
We call them miniproteins.
These are peptides,
40 to 60 amino acids long,
that fold into three dimensional shapes,
much like a protein does.
And those typically have hundreds of amino acids.
And all of the proteins that our bodies naturally produce
are built from a common amino acid alphabet.
We use the same alphabet for our miniproteins
because we want them to be as safe as possible.
Using generative artificial intelligence,
we design our miniproteins from scratch,
and this allows us to control everything about them.
We design them to be small
because this helps them to get around inside the body.
We design them to be nice and stable.
This simplifies manufacturing and administration to patients.
But not too stable,
because we still want the body to be able to digest them
after the job is done.
Most importantly,
we design miniproteins so that we can link them together.
This is necessary to communicate with cells
in a more sophisticated way.
When you speak a language, you don't just know the words,
you know grammar,
so that you can write phrases that provide cogent instructions.
For example, we can now talk with a particular type of immune cell.
We can call to them by name,
and we can tell them to go out and attack cancer.
And provide context
and logic for how this action should be carried out,
like leave normal, healthy tissue alone while you're doing it.
We’ve shown the power of miniproteins
by taking mice, giving them arthritis,
and treating their joint inflammation.
We've taken diabetic mice
and used miniprotein medicines to control blood glucose levels.
We've implanted mice with leukemia tumors
and used human immune cells to treat them,
along with a miniprotein that told them what to do.
And we are just getting started.
There are many more diseases that we've treated in a test tube
using miniproteins that we designed.
The next step is to bring this technology
and our pipeline of transformative new medicines to patients.
We announced the first miniprotein pharma partnership last year
with Bristol Myers Squibb to create four new medicines.
Separately, our first clinical trial is planned to begin in 2028
with the goal of helping patients suffering from lung cancer.
Miniproteins enable a fundamentally new way of thinking about medicine.
And I am very excited by all that is possible
now that we have the ability to speak fluently with our cells.
Thank you.
(Cheers and applause)
Key Vocabulary (50)
toward
"Go to school."
belonging
"Cup of tea."
also
"You and me."
inside
"In the house."
specific
"That book."
Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
A preposition used to indicate a specific point, location, or position in space. It is also used to specify a particular point in time or a certain state or activity.
Used to identify a specific person, thing, or idea that is physically close to the speaker or has just been mentioned. It can also refer to the present time or a situation that is currently happening.
A coordinating conjunction used to connect two statements that contrast with each other. It is used to introduce an added statement that is different from what has already been mentioned.
A preposition used to show the method or means of doing something, or to identify the person or thing that performs an action. It frequently appears in passive sentences to indicate the agent or before modes of transport.
Used to indicate the starting point, source, or origin of something. It can describe a physical location, a point in time, or the person who sent or gave an item.
The word 'we' is a first-person plural pronoun used to refer to the speaker and one or more other people collectively. It is used as the subject of a sentence or clause.
1
"One dog."
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Description
What if medicines could "speak" directly to your cells? Protein designer and TED Fellow Chris Bahl introduces a new generation of miniproteins: AI-designed medicines that can deliver detailed...
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