Using Machine Learning for Drug Discovery in IBD

Abstract

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) refers to two conditions: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn disease (CD) [1]. IBD has a range of clinical symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, constipation, and fatigue [2]. The main cause of IBD is unknown, but it is the result of a weakened immune system. The possible causes of IBD involve genetic and environmental factors. Unfortunately, with conventional diagnostic methods it is hard to predict therapeutic responsiveness of patients beforehand [3]. Genetic expression may be a valuable prediction tool to determine patient’ responsiveness to treatment.