BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese people are gaining access to rapidly evolving medicines, more accurate clinical diagnoses and treatments, and more effective rehabilitation therapies, as artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly enhances healthcare services.
The traditional method of developing new drugs, marked by arduous work and lengthy timelines, is set to become far more efficient with AI tools.
A team led by Professor Yu Jintai from the Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University has harnessed AI to accelerate its research on Alzheimer's disease.
"Using large-model technology, we conducted a large-scale genome-wide association analysis of more than one million samples and identified five mutation sites in the FAM171A2 gene that are significantly associated with the incidence of Parkinson's disease," Yu said.
In another study, the team used AI to screen 6,361 cerebrospinal fluid proteins, identifying four that are strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease. Diagnostic tests based on these new biomarkers can predict Alzheimer's incidence up to 15 years in advance, with an accuracy rate exceeding 98.7 percent.
New drug development often requires researchers to screen tens of thousands of candidates to identify molecules with specific properties: activity, selectivity, favorable drug tolerance, excellent absorption and metabolism, and safety compliance. This process relies heavily on researchers' experience and creativity, often taking considerable time and incurring high labor and material costs.
AI, however, is transforming this landscape. Powered by AI-driven protein structure prediction and virtual screening technologies, researchers can rapidly pinpoint the most promising molecules for effective drugs. In some cases, AI can even screen 100 million compounds within just 48 hours.
"AI Kongming," an open and inclusive domestically developed drug research platform, was recently launched in China.
Guo Jinjiang, head of the research team, said the platform has independently developed a suite of proprietary algorithms, including an AI-driven molecular design model and high-precision virtual screening technology, which will greatly accelerate the drug research and development process.
Liu Haiguang, chief scientist at Beijing's Zhongguancun Academy, a higher education institution dedicated to innovation in AI and interdisciplinary fields, noted that AI helps researchers identify optimal research pathways, enhance efficiency, and accelerate the development of effective and safe drugs.
In 2025, China's National Health Commission and other relevant departments issued a set of guidelines to promote the application of AI tools to improve the quality of healthcare service.
To help more hemiplegic patients regain normal gait, Fan Xiangmin, a researcher at the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, led his team in the development of an AI-driven functional rhythm assistance system.
The system leverages AI to generate personalized rhythmic patterns tailored to a patient's gait characteristics. These patterns are delivered through bone-conduction headphones, helping users adjust their walking rhythm and improve balance.
Already in clinical trials at facilities including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the technology has enabled patients with previously rigid, poorly coordinated gaits to gradually achieve more stable step cadence and stride length, and their walking posture has approached that of healthy individuals.
Beyond this breakthrough, a wave of emerging technologies is breathing new life into healthcare. Deep-learning models trained on brain MRI scans, for instance, are now supporting preoperative assessments of pituitary adenomas, while AI-enabled glasses built on intelligent visual stimulation technology are being used to treat amblyopia.
Fan Xianqun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, emphasized that AI applications are expanding rapidly across basic medical research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and applied medical disciplines.
"The impact of AI on scientific progress and human life is immeasurable," he stated, adding that healthcare is likely to represent its most far-reaching application scenario. ■
