Cleveland Clinic and IBM have secured $40 million in funding from the Wellcome Trust to lead quantum computing projects for healthcare applications. The initiative, part of the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio Challenge, aims to demonstrate the potential of quantum computing in biological and health fields. One project will focus on predicting protein conformations to advance disease understanding and targeted therapies. Another project, in collaboration with Algorithmiq, explores quantum computing’s role in developing photon-activated drugs for cancer treatment. This endeavor leverages IBM’s quantum hardware and Cleveland Clinic’s drug development expertise.
Cleveland Clinic and IBM have been selected by the Wellcome Trust to lead groundbreaking quantum computing projects aimed at advancing healthcare applications. These projects, supported by $40 million in funding, will focus on the development of quantum algorithms and workflows. Additionally, the collaboration will partner with Algorithmiq on a separate initiative dedicated to creating computational tools that showcase the quantum advantage.
The Wellcome Trust has entrusted the Cleveland Clinic-IBM Discovery Accelerator with the task of developing proof-of-concept demonstrations of quantum computing’s potential in biological and health-related fields through the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio Challenge.
Why It’s Important:
Wellcome Leap’s Q4Bio initiative seeks to co-develop healthcare applications that harness the capabilities of quantum computers. These applications are expected to yield tangible benefits within the next three to five years. In addition to the initial $40 million funding, the team may also be eligible for up to $10 million in challenge prizes for successful and scalable technologies and approaches.
Earlier this year, Cleveland Clinic and IBM made history by installing the first quantum system dedicated to healthcare research on their main campus.
Since announcing their collaborative efforts in advancing biomedical research through high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing in 2021, the Cleveland Clinic-IBM Discovery Accelerator team has been actively engaged in various projects aimed at generating and rapidly analyzing large volumes of data for disease-focused research.
The deployment of the quantum system marked a significant milestone in their decade-long partnership.
For the Q4Bio initiative, the accelerator’s primary focus will be on using quantum computing to predict protein conformations, which could provide valuable insights into the workings of proteins and their interactions with other molecules. This knowledge can enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms and aid in the development of more effective, targeted therapies.
The second project involves Algorithmiq collaborating with the team to develop computational tools that explore how quantum computing can assist in the development of photon-activated drugs for cancer treatment. This project leverages Algorithmiq’s drug discovery platform, Aurora, which is powered by IBM’s quantum hardware, and builds on Cleveland Clinic’s expertise in drug applications.
The Broader Trend:
Quantum computing has the potential to significantly accelerate healthcare data analytics, benefiting areas such as medical imaging and pathology.
Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic highlighted the transformative potential of quantum computing in healthcare, emphasizing its role in addressing scientific bottlenecks and potentially uncovering new treatments for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.
A study by Kyoto University in 2021 demonstrated the use of quantum physics to destroy cancer cells by using X-rays on tumor tissue containing iodine-carrying nanoparticles, leading to cancer cell death within three days. This groundbreaking approach exploited quantum physics phenomena within cancer cells, ultimately resulting in programmed cell death.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, during the deployment of the IBM Quantum System One at Cleveland Clinic earlier this year, underscored the collaborative potential of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies with Cleveland Clinic’s expertise in healthcare and life sciences, aiming to usher in a new era of accelerated discovery in biomedical research.
