Quarter Century Update: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Deborah Phippard, PhD, and Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, explored the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on cell and gene therapy research and clinical practice. From 2000 to 2025, the field has experienced rapid and groundbreaking development, moving from theoretical concepts to established treatments for diseases such as hematologic malignancies and neuromuscular disorders.

Insights from Experts

CGTLive® invited Deborah Phippard, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Precision for Medicine, and Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, Chair of Medicine and Deputy Director at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, to discuss recent progress and ongoing challenges in the field in a Special Report titled Quarter Century Update: What’s Holding up Progress in Development? Where Have We Seen the Most?

The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence

In the final episode of the report, Brentjens and Phippard considered AI’s unpredictable but growing impact on cell and gene therapies. Brentjens highlighted that although AI remains poorly understood by many, it is already proving useful in:

Designing molecular binders
Analyzing vast biological data sets

This work has the potential to revolutionize how researchers identify tumor targets and engineer new therapies.

“While few truly understand AI, it is already proving valuable in areas like designing molecular binders and analyzing massive biological datasets—work that could transform how scientists identify tumor targets and engineer therapies.” — Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD

Author’s summary: AI is becoming a crucial tool in advancing cell and gene therapies by enabling sophisticated data analysis and molecular design, marking a new frontier in medical research.

CGTLive® — 2025-11-05