Role of Artificial Neural Networks in Optimizing Bioconversion of Antiretroviral Drugs: A Review

Antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) remain the cornerstone of HIV/AIDS management, but their therapeutic efficacy and safety are highly influenced by bioconversion processes such as hepatic metabolism and enzymatic transformation. Variability in metabolic pathways, mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes and other liver-based systems, contributes to interindividual differences in drug response, toxicity, and resistance. Recent advances in artificial intelligence, particularly artificial neural networks (ANNs), offer promising tools for modeling and optimizing these complex bioconversion processes. ANNs are capable of learning nonlinear relationships from high-dimensional datasets, making them ideal for predicting the pharmacokinetic parameters, enzyme–substrate interactions, and metabolic stability of ARVDs. This review explores the emerging role of ANNs in understanding and optimizing the metabolic transformation of antiretroviral agents. Key applications are discussed, including prediction of drug–enzyme interactions, in silico modeling of hepatic clearance, and simulation of enzyme kinetics. The integration of molecular descriptors, omics data, and clinical parameters into ANN models allows for improved prediction accuracy and personalized therapy. Furthermore, ANN-based tools can aid in early-stage drug development by identifying metabolic liabilities and guiding structural modifications to enhance metabolic stability. Despite their potential, challenges such as data scarcity, model interpretability, and standardization remain. Future research should focus on hybrid models combining ANN with mechanistic pharmacokinetics, the incorporation of real-world patient data, and validation against experimental outcomes. Overall, ANNs represent a powerful approach to optimizing ARVDs bioconversion, with the potential to improve efficacy, reduce toxicity, and support the development of next-generation antiretroviral therapies