AI-designed universal vaccine passes first clinical trial in humans

A vaccine created using artificial intelligence that could potentially provide broader protection against multiple coronaviruses and help prepare for future pandemics has passed its first human clinical trial.

Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton have developed a “universal vaccine” designed to protect against multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses. newsletter “It is a large group of viruses that occur in nature, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID pandemic.”

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The study’s lead researcher, University of Southampton professor Saul Faust, said traditional vaccines need to be constantly updated as viruses mutate and the process is “like a dog chasing its tail”.

“Viruses such as influenza, Coronaviruses and the Ebola group are constantly evolving and may be poorly matched when vaccines are introduced; the current ‘reactive’ vaccine system is struggling to keep up,” Faust said. he said.

An antigen is the active component of a vaccine that is intended to trigger an immune system response and fight infection. University scientists recorded all available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses and used artificial intelligence to design a “super antigen” containing antigen features “common to this entire group of viruses, including those that have not yet emerged,” according to the statement.

The vaccine trial proved safe and triggered an immune response in 39 healthy volunteers, the statement said. this marked “the first time a vaccine whose active ingredient was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans.”

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The trial vaccine was administered via a microfluid jet, which delivers immunization through the skin using a small, high-pressure fluid stream and does not require a needle. This could make the method “faster and easier to administer in large numbers of people,” the researchers said.

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“This new class of universal vaccines is future proof,” said Faust. “They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but also potentially against related viruses that have not yet emerged and spread to humans. If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy protected.”

A new vaccine has proven safe and able to trigger immune responses against the coronavirus in a limited human trial. (iStock)

Some experts have expressed broad concerns about the use of AI in medicine, especially when it comes to making clinical decisions, not developing vaccines. Some have said that certain groups of people may be underrepresented in the data the AI ​​relies on, leading to biased results.

AI also sometimes produces erroneous information, called “hallucinations,” and determining who is responsible for medical failures in such cases is a complicated matter.

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Others have raised concerns about patient privacy and the need for human judgment that considers the scope of a patient’s health history rather than a single data set.

While traditional vaccines are reactive, a new vaccine designed by artificial intelligence aims to protect against future coronavirus threats. (iStock)

Universal vaccine researchers said a larger trial involving a “larger and more diverse population” was needed. They published their findings in the Journal of Infection.