World’s First AI-Designed Vaccine Targets Future Pandemics
Vaccine research and development underwent a shift during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating a need for accelerated timelines.
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Shortly after tech leaders and experts raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in developing vaccines and other biotech innovations, the University of Cambridge announced it had used AI to develop a “fundamentally new” type of vaccine.
The team at the university has claimed that this is the first time a key vaccine component has been designed autonomously by AI, which has since advanced to human trials.
The vaccine has been engineered to work against all coronaviruses, including COVID variants and viruses that can infect animals and could potentially start a new pandemic.
“We’re always behind,” said Prof Jonathan Heeney, from the University of Cambridge, adding, “what we’re trying to do is get ahead of the curve”, and so far ahead they could protect against new outbreaks or pandemics.
Vaccine research and development shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for accelerated timelines. While the work remains at a nascent stage, the BBC reports that the team is working on separate vaccines to tackle flu and Ebola.
How Does the 1st AI Vaccine Work?
Vaccines are designed using the current strain of the virus.
Researchers compiled genetic sequences from a range of coronaviruses recorded as potential threats and used AI to design a “super-antigen” that could train the immune system to protect against the entire family of viruses, even if they mutated.
“This is about making vaccines that protect us, not just from today’s viruses, but protect us from what can cause the next outbreak or disease,” said Heeney.
”This is a fundamental shift in how we prepare for pandemics.”
The vaccine had a trial group of 39 people, and a second one, involving around 200 people, will assess how it trains the immune system.
The World Health Organization recently flagged two concerning outbreaks: Hantavirus clusters in multiple regions and a resurgence of Ebola, with the latter officially being declared a “public health emergency of international concern.”
Global coordination, emergency funding, and accelerated surveillance, case management, and vaccine deployment are now more crucial than ever to contain outbreaks and reduce mortality.
