AISTROSIGHT

Our overall goal is to develop innovative numerical methods for neuropharmacology, the search of new drug candidates to treat brain diseases. We use machine learning to integrate multiscale information sources (molecular data from cell cultures, brain imaging, clinical data) into a coherent stream of data and expert knowledge. We also develop mechanistic modeling approaches (multiscale quantitative systems biology/pharmacology) to produce explanations for the predictions of the machine learning algorithms, that can be rooted in neurobiology. Another central aspect of AIstroSight is to widen the focus of neuropharmacology beyond neurons, that constitute only one part of the nerve cells in the brain, and also take into account the other half, that is made up by glial cells. In particular, we consider the pharmacology of astrocytes, one major subtype of glial cells, in interaction with the pharmacology of neurons. 

To accelerate cross-fertilization between digital science and medical research, AIstroSight is built as a joint team between:

• Inria
• University Claude Bernard Lyon 1
• the “Hospices Civils de Lyon”, the university hospital trust operating in Lyon 
• Theranexus, a Biotech company