Cambridge Researchers Use AI To Develop Vaccine To Fight Virus Strains Before They Develop

The first human trial of a groundbreaking artificial intelligence-developed vaccine that could fight strains of viruses that don’t exist yet is showing promise.The Cambridge researchers are behind the vaccine to combat multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses — including SARS-CoV-2, which caused the Covid pandemic.Researchers say a trial involving 39 healthy volunteers found that the vaccine triggered immune responses in the volunteers not only to SARS-CoV-2 and SARS, but to related bat viruses that could potentially jump from animals to humans and cause future pandemics. The study participants did not suffer any significant side-effects, according to the university. A previous trial in animals also found that the vaccine provided a strong immune response.“We’ve converted vaccine development from being reactive to being future proof,” a Cambridge professor, Jonathan Heeney, said in a release. “Our vaccines will continue to provide protection against viruses even as they mutate into new strains.”Vaccines usually rely on a current strain of a virus to fight it but the new method is designed to fight strains that don’t yet exist. The researchers say the trial proves the safety of an entirely new way of designing vaccines. The results are published in the Journal of Infection.The technology uses an AI-designed ‘super-antigen’ to provide lasting protection against a broad range of viruses. The antigen is the active ingredient in a vaccine that triggers the body’s immune system to produce a protective immune response. Researchers found the ‘super-antigen’ works against viruses even as they mutate.The research team used machine learning to take all the available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses and design the antigen.“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 preserved,” a University of Southampton professor, Saul Faust, said.Researchers say that the vaccine will need more development before it is ready for use by the public. A larger trial of 200 people will next assess the vaccine’s ability to induce immune responses in a more diverse population. The team is now developing other vaccines for Ebola and the seasonal flu. A successful flu vaccine could eliminate the need to create a new variation every year.“We’ve overcome the problem of traditional vaccines, which have limited protection,” Mr. Heeney said. “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.”

Cambridge Researchers Use AI To Develop Vaccine To Fight Virus Strains Before They Develop

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