Quantum computing, alongside artificial intelligence (AI), will play a pivotal role in the future of drug development, a leading researcher said.
Han Nam-sik, a professor of quantum information science at Yonsei University, presented these findings at the Yonsei-IBS Nobel Forum on Tuesday, jointly hosted by the Yonsei Institute for Advanced Study (YIAS) and the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Center for Nanomedicine. Han also serves as head of the AI Research Center at the Milner Therapeutics Institute at the University of Cambridge.
"Future nanomedicine will involve 'nanorobots' delivering drugs, eliminating cancer cells, or performing biopsies inside cells," Han said. "AI will play a critical role in guiding these nanorobots to precise locations."
A three-dimensional "digital human body map" is central to this process. The concept involves collecting the vast data generated by modern biology, analyzing it with AI, and building a virtual map of the human body that reflects cellular and molecular interactions. Han explained that such "network medicine" enables more precise disease prediction and drug discovery than conventional approaches.
The convergence of quantum computing and AI technologies could generate enormous synergies, potentially reshaping the entire drug development paradigm, Han said.
