The Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) has announced that its scientists have developed an algorithm that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) for prescribing antibiotics.
In a study published in the journal Science, researchers from Technion and the KSM Maccabi Research and Innovation Center in Israel employed gene sequencing techniques and machine learning analysis on patient records.
Israeli scientists have developed AI for prescribing antibiotics to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. (Illustrative image: AFP/TTXVN)
After focusing on cases of urinary tract infections and common wound infections, the research team demonstrated how to utilize data on each patient’s infection history to select the most appropriate and effective antibiotic, thereby reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance in these patients.
The scientists discovered that in most cases of infection, antibiotic resistance does not arise from random mutations of bacteria, but rather from patients being reinfected with drug-resistant bacteria already present in their own microbiome.
Therefore, the research team recommends that doctors prescribe antibiotics that not only target the bacteria causing the current infection but also prevent the strains present in the microbiome from becoming drug-resistant alternatives to the current bacteria.
The researchers concluded that data on past antibiotic responses from infections in patients can be used to predict the risk of them encountering antibiotic resistance again when treated with antibiotics.
