What if your immune system - the very same system designed to protect your body from a wide range of threats, including infections, damaged cells, and environmental hazards - becomes a threat to your health? This is the reality for nearly 1 in 10 people around the world. 

Autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, and atopic dermatitis are estimated to affect 5-10% of the global population and present a unique set of challenges for both patients and the medical community. These conditions, characterized by the body's immune system mistakenly attacking healthy cells, are notoriously difficult to treat and often result in high relapse rates. First line treatments merely suppress symptoms and there is an urgent demand for solutions that go beyond managing flare-ups to addressing the root causes. 

At DeepLife, we recognize these challenges. By targeting the cellular triggers that drive autoimmune attacks, our AI-powered digital twins of cells expose why traditional approaches struggle - and how our unique technology can make a difference.

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Shared pathways, unique patients: why one-size-fits-all autoimmune disease therapies fall short

Autoimmune diseases share common pathways of immune dysregulation, including cytokine imbalances and immune cell hyperactivity. However, each disease manifests differently and patients experience varied symptoms and responses to treatment. This heterogeneity makes it challenging to develop effective therapies.

Many autoimmune therapies today focus on symptom suppression or reduction of inflammation rather than addressing root causes of the disease. Current immunosuppressant treatments like biologics can lose efficacy over time, requiring patients to increase dosages or switch medications. Furthermore, they often carry severe side effects that can be harmful and significantly impact quality of life. As immune responses are suppressed throughout their bodies, patients who receive these therapies face heightened risks of serious infections (e.g. tuberculosis, sepsis), malignancies and organ toxicity.

Another challenge is the high relapse rate associated with autoimmune diseases. Even when symptoms are managed, these treatments are just masking acute inflammation. The underlying immune dysregulation can lead to flare-ups, causing significant disruption and suffering for patients. This cycle of remission and relapse underscores the need for therapies that address the root causes of the disease, not just the symptoms.

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Using AI to decode the complexity of autoimmune diseases

DeepLife is tackling these challenges head-on with a unique, data-driven approach. Our focus on cell type specificity allows us to build detailed digital twins of individual cells, identifying driver genes and potential therapeutic targets that have been previously overlooked. By understanding the specific cells and pathways implicated in disease onset, we can help develop more targeted and effective treatments that will transform the future of autoimmune disease therapy.

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DeepLife technology uses AI to improve drug development  

Improving targeted therapies: We identify high-value, cell type-specific targets and then rapidly move to drug repurposing. This approach contrasts with developing new molecules from scratch or solely focusing on optimizing clinical trials. By focusing on cell type-specific targets and drugs, we aim for a more precise and effective approach compared to traditional product development. 

Reducing risk for new approaches: We leverage existing drugs with better characterized benefit/risk profiles for new uses in autoimmune diseases. This drug repurposing strategy allows us to accelerate the development process and potentially offer more effective and safer alternatives to current treatments. 

Scaling drug evaluation: Our in-silico approach allows us to test a full curated drug catalog and gather information from previous preclinical studies and clinical trials. This helps us position repurposed drugs in the best way possible, both increasing the likelihood of success in clinical trials and reducing potential regulatory failure. 

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Addressing inflammatory diseases and their complications with drug repurposing

We identify and rationally prioritise drugs that could allow early inflammation suppression but also epigenetic and immunomodulation so we could achieve the highest possible impact on the immune system. We use causal inference analysis to identify upstream driver genes that orchestrate disease pathways.

For example, in Crohn’s disease, intestinal fibrosis is a common complication. To help patients with this condition avoid surgery, optimizing therapy timing and targeting fibrotic complications are essential. Our dual approach moves beyond symptom management to explore therapies that are not just effective but potentially curative for patients who struggle with chronic inflammatory diseases. 

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The next frontier in autoimmune disease therapy: precision, prediction and cure 

At DeepLife, we believe that a future with better autoimmune disease management is possible and we're dedicated to making it a reality. Our focus on cell type specificity, drug repurposing, and AI-driven insights positions us to make a real difference in the lives of patients. The therapeutic options for autoimmune diseases like IBD have expanded rapidly in the past several years, but this has made treatment selection even more challenging. We are committed to finding solutions that address the root causes of these diseases, offering safer, more effective treatments and reducing the burden of relapse. Our aim is to help transform autoimmune care from a lifelong battle into a manageable condition - and ultimately, a curable one.  

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