By Marta Iraola Iribarren/Euronews
A new AI-designed vaccine capable of protecting against entire families of viruses could transform how the world prepares for a future pandemic.
A team of British researchers, led by scientists at the universities of Cambridge and Southampton in the United Kingdom, has developed the first vaccine designed entirely by artificial intelligence (AI) to be tested in humans.
“Viruses like Influenza, Coronaviruses and the Ebola group are evolving continuously, and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched — the current “reactive” vaccine system struggles to keep pace,” said professor Saul Faust from the University of Southampton, the trial’s chief investigator.
In recent years, there have been multiple outbreaks caused by betacoronavirus, the most significant of which caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The continued circulation of these viruses has led pathogens to mutate and new variants to emerge.
Recognising the need for vaccines that can provide broader coverage against both current and future dangerous mutations, the team has developed a new type of vaccine offering lasting protection against a broad range of viruses — such as Ebola or the coronavirus group — even as they mutate.
“We’ve converted vaccine development from being reactive to being future proof,” said professor Jonathan Heeney from the Lab of Viral Zoonotics at the University of Cambridge and the scientific lead of the research.
“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.”
Heeney added that this new class of universal vaccines could also potentially protect against viruses that have not yet emerged.
How did they use AI?
To create this vaccine, the researchers employed an entirely AI-designed active component known as a “super-antigen”.
It uses a computer-designed protein that mimics shared features across multiple coronaviruses, rather than targeting a single specific strain, which can trigger the body’s immune system to fight a broad array of pathogens with those base characteristics.
The team used all the available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses — zoonotic viruses that primarily circulate in bats and can jump to humans or other mammals — recorded in surveillance programmes around the world, then applied machine learning to create the super-antigen.
No need for needles
A further novelty is that this vaccine does not require a needle. It is administered through a microfluidic jet that propels the antigen directly into the skin through a high-speed liquid stream.
The researchers noted that this delivery method increases global applicability by reducing volume requirements, eliminating sharps waste and improving uptake in settings where needle-based administration is a barrier.
Such vaccines are also generally more thermostable than mRNA alternatives and do not require ultra-cold chain logistics, making them well-suited for use in low- and middle-income countries and in rapid-response scenarios.
What are the next steps?
This first trial involved a small number of participants and was designed to assess safety, tolerability, and the immune response triggered.
Between December 2021 and September 2023, 39 volunteers were vaccinated. The vaccine was well tolerated across all four doses, with no significant safety concerns reported, the researchers 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,” said professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director at the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Following these successful results, researchers will now start a phase 2 clinical trial to assess the vaccine’s ability to induce immune responses in a wider and more diverse population and confirm that it generates strong, broadly protective immunity.
