AI breakthrough: ‘world’s first’ vaccine designed by AI enters human trials

Artificial intelligence has been used to develop a next-generation vaccine that could protect against mutating viruses and prevent future pandemics. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have achieved a breakthrough by introducing a vaccine’s key component (antigen) using AI and trailed it in humans for the first time.

However, instead of targeting a specific virus, it analyzes the genetic codes of multiple known coronaviruses to design a single “super-antigen”.

This trains the immune system to recognize and fight an entire family of viruses even as they mutate or jump from animals to humans, while initial safety trials on 39 people have already confirmed the vaccine is safe.

Prof Jonathan Heeney from the University of Cambridge said: “what we're trying to do is get ahead of the curve and so far, ahead they could protect against new outbreaks or pandemics”

The findings published in the Journal of Infection noted the initial immune impact was modest but highly encouraging. Meanwhile a second larger study involving 200 people is underway to better measure exactly how effectively it trains the human immune system.

The AI technology worked very well against rapidly changing viruses, but the team is already expanding its research to tackle other major global health threats. Notably, developing seasonal flu vaccines with this method would eliminate the actual need for annual updates. 

Most importantly, teams are working to design a vaccine for viral hemorrhagic fevers, targeting Ebola strains that currently have no existing vaccine.

Prof Andy Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, was not involved in the study, said: “It's fascinating data and people wouldn't have predicted they'd be able to generate these immune responses,” he told BBC News.

“Artificial intelligence was going to be a "game changer" for vaccine research and that AI tools had the potential to predict how the immune system would respond to a vaccine making development much faster and would "save lives", further added.

According to experts' human immune systems are much more complex than those of laboratory mice, making human trials the ultimate test. However, they agree that AI will radically accelerate vaccine development and save lives by predicting how the immune system will respond before a shot is even manufactured.

Furthermore, Prof Marian Knight said: “The remarkable success of this AI-designed 'super-antigen' trial marks a pivotal leap forward in our ability to deliver broad, lasting viral protection.”