'World-first' vaccine designed by artificial intelligence tested on humans

A groundbreaking step in vaccine development has been achieved by scientists at the University of Cambridge, who have successfully completed the first human trial of a novel coronavirus vaccine designed entirely by artificial intelligence.

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This represents a fundamental new vaccine technology that could prevent future pandemics before they begin.

This "world-first" vaccine, developed by a team from the University of Cambridge and biotechnology spin-out DIOSynVax, represents a significant advancement in creating vaccines that can protect against broad families of viruses, including potential future threats. The research, detailed on the university's website, focused on a "universal" vaccine approach.

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We’ve converted vaccine development from being reactive to being future proof. Our vaccines will continue to provide protection against viruses even as they mutate into new strains.

The early-stage trial included 39 healthy volunteers and found the AI-designed vaccine to be safe, with no significant side effects reported. Researchers are optimistic that this new technology could prevent future pandemics by targeting common genetic features across related viruses. Unlike traditional vaccines that are updated to match specific virus strains, this AI-driven method creates a "super-antigen" designed to train the immune system to recognize a wide range of current and future versions of viruses within a family, such as Sarbeco coronaviruses.

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We’ve overcome the problem of traditional vaccines, which have limited protection. It means we can escape the constant cycle of chasing the virus variants circulating in humans and updating the vaccines to try to catch up, like a dog chasing its tail.

Professor Jonathan Heeney, who led the research, stated that this approach converts vaccine development from being reactive to being "future proof." He explained, "Our vaccines will continue to provide protection against viruses even as they mutate into new strains." Early results from the trial indicated that volunteers developed immune responses not only to known coronaviruses like COVID-19 but also to related animal viruses that have not yet caused human outbreaks. Professor Saul Faust, the chief investigator of the trial, added, "If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved."

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This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed. They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven’t yet emerged and spilt over to humans.