Efficient screening of pharmacological broad-spectrum anti-cancer peptides utilizing advanced bidirectional Encoder representation from Transformers strategy

Abstract

In the vanguard of oncological advancement, this investigation delineates the integration of deep learning paradigms to refine the screening process for Anticancer Peptides (ACPs), epitomizing a new frontier in broad-spectrum oncolytic therapeutics renowned for their targeted antitumor efficacy and specificity. Conventional methodologies for ACP identification are marred by prohibitive time and financial exigencies, representing a formidable impediment to the evolution of precision oncology. In response, our research heralds the development of a groundbreaking screening apparatus that marries Natural Language Processing (NLP) with the Pseudo Amino Acid Composition (PseAAC) technique, thereby inaugurating a comprehensive ACP compendium for the extraction of quintessential primary and secondary structural attributes. This innovative methodological approach is augmented by an optimized BERT model, meticulously calibrated for ACP detection, which conspicuously surpasses existing BERT variants and traditional machine learning algorithms in both accuracy and selectivity. Subjected to rigorous validation via five-fold cross-validation and external assessment, our model exhibited exemplary performance, boasting an average Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.9726 and an F1 score of 0.9385, with external validation further affirming its prowess (AUC of 0.9848 and F1 of 0.9371). These findings vividly underscore the method's unparalleled efficacy and prospective utility in the precise identification and prognostication of ACPs, significantly ameliorating the financial and temporal burdens traditionally associated with ACP research and development. Ergo, this pioneering screening paradigm promises to catalyze the discovery and clinical application of ACPs, constituting a seminal stride towards the realization of more efficacious and economically viable precision oncology interventions.

Keywords

• Anti-cancer peptides
• Deep learning
• Natural language processing
• Transformers