Nature Communications (Mar 2024)

Developing a machine learning model for accurate nucleoside hydrogels prediction based on descriptors

  • Weiqi Li,
  • Yinghui Wen,
  • Kaichao Wang,
  • Zihan Ding,
  • Lingfeng Wang,
  • Qianming Chen,
  • Liang Xie,
  • Hao Xu,
  • Hang Zhao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46866-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Supramolecular hydrogels derived from nucleosides have been gaining significant attention in the biomedical field due to their unique properties and excellent biocompatibility. However, a major challenge in this field is that there is no model for predicting whether nucleoside derivative will form a hydrogel. Here, we successfully develop a machine learning model to predict the hydrogel-forming ability of nucleoside derivatives. The optimal model with a 71% (95% Confidence Interval, 0.69−0.73) accuracy is established based on a dataset of 71 reported nucleoside derivatives. 24 molecules are selected via the optimal model external application and the hydrogel-forming ability is experimentally verified. Among these, two rarely reported cation-independent nucleoside hydrogels are found. Based on their self-assemble mechanisms, the cation-independent hydrogel is found to have potential applications in rapid visual detection of Ag+ and cysteine. Here, we show the machine learning model may provide a tool to predict nucleoside derivatives with hydrogel-forming ability.