Artificial intelligence (AI) could pave the way for a vaccine against gonorrhea, researchers say.
The sexually transmitted disease is raising concerns among doctors because it is resistant to nearly all antibiotics, with experts fearing that if a super-strain gains a foothold in the US they may be left unable to treat it.
But researchers from Massachusetts and Denmark say they have used AI harnessing technology similar to facial recognition to detect two antigens on gonorrhea that could be used to develop a vaccine to protect against the STD.
‘That really was a surprise,’ said author Sanjay Ram, an infectious diseases expert at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
‘Nobody would have predicted that these two proteins that were believed not to be surface exposed would work in vaccines.’
The above map shows gonorrhea cases across the US in 2021
And above shows the rates in 2013. The maps highlight how gonorrhea cases are rising significantly nationwide
The above shows how gonorrhea cases are trending upward in men and women, but at higher rates among men at present
In the study, published today in the journal mBio, scientists fed data on proteins from gonorrhea into an AI.
The AI they used was called Efficacy Discriminative Educated Network (EDEN), which Andreas Holm Mattson, the founder of AI immunology startup Evaxian, said uses a feature similar to face recognition technology to understand the difference between proteins.
The AI analyzed different combinations of proteins from the surface of gonorrhea to suggest the best combinations for a vaccine.
Scientists then immunized mice with 11 combinations of two to three antigens as recommended by the AI.
Blood was then drawn from the mice and exposed to gonorrhea in the lab to estimate the immune response.
The researchers found the combination the AI had said was best — using proteins FtsN and NGO0265 — worked best in the tests.
FtsN is involved in the division of gonorrhea cells. Scientists are not certain of the role of NGO0265, but say it is also displayed on the cell surface of gonorrhea.
The researchers then combined the two proteins into a chimeric protein which induced a similar immune response.
About 700,000 Americans catch gonorrhea every year, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest.
Patients suffer symptoms including a burning sensation during urination, discharge, unusual sores and a rash and are normally prescribed antibiotics to clear the infection.
Long-term infections can raise the risk of infertility, complications during pregnancy such as a low birthweight and a higher risk of catching other STIs like HIV.
Gonorrhea infections reached record levels in the 1970s and 1980s with around 400 cases per 100,000 people at its peak.
But with the advent of technologies such as condoms, increased awareness of STDs and infection control programs annual infections had plummeted by 74 percent since 1996.
Over the last few years, however, infections have started to rise again with factors such as having more sexual partners, using condoms less often, a lack of testing and the emergence of antibiotic resistance all fueling the rise.
Earlier this year signs were put up across 20 American cities warning people over the dangers of gonorrhea infections
People can only become infected with gonorrhea via vaginal, anal, or oral sex when the bacteria is passed in bodily fluids from one person to another.
Early warning signs of infection include experiencing pain while urinating, having an abnormal discharge from the penis or anus and a redness or swelling in the urethra or vagina.
Infections are treated with a round of antibiotics. But in recent years, with the emergence of resistance, doctors are beginning to fear that an alternative is needed.
In some cases, infections can lead to infertility in men by triggering scar tissue in the urethra — which can reduce how many sperm exit the body during ejaculation.
In women, the bacteria can move through the cervix into the upper reproductive organs leading to inflammation and scarring which can affect fertility.
The bacteria can also raise the risk of someone being infected with HIV by making it easier for the virus to enter the bloodstream.
This year in Boston two people were diagnosed with a ‘concerning’ strain of super gonorrhea.
There was no connection between the pair, suggesting the disease is circulating more widely in the community.
Dr Margaret Cooke, the head of the state’s health department, said the discovery was a ‘serious public health concern’. The strain has previously been spotted in both the UK and Austria.