The Medical Matchmaking Machine

Latif Nasser interviews Dr. David Fagenbaum, a doctor and professor, about his personal health crises and his work using AI to repurpose existing drugs for different diseases. Fagenbaum recounts his dream of becoming a college quarterback, which was interrupted when his mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. He then details his own battle with idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease, a rare immune disorder, and how he discovered that the drug rapamycin, originally developed for organ transplant recipients, effectively treated his condition. Inspired by his experience and his uncle's cancer diagnosis, Fagenbaum created the Corona Project during the COVID-19 pandemic and later developed the MATRIX, an AI-driven tool to identify potential drug repurposing opportunities. He discusses his decision to make the MATRIX publicly available, acknowledging the potential risks of patients misinterpreting the AI's recommendations, and emphasizes the importance of further research and collaboration with doctors.