Scientists have used artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a new vaccine that could protect against a wide range of viruses and potentially help prevent future pandemics.
A team of experts from the University of Cambridge has confirmed that this is the first time in history that a key component of a vaccine has been designed entirely with the help of AI and then successfully tested in humans.
The new vaccine is designed to target all coronaviruses, including not only existing variants of COVID-19, but also viruses circulating in animals that could in the future jump to humans, potentially causing a new global crisis.
Traditional vaccines are usually developed based on the current active strain of the virus. However, as viruses constantly mutate and change their structure, vaccines often lose effectiveness and need to be updated regularly.
This time, Cambridge scientists have taken a completely different approach. They have collected the genetic codes of a large number of coronaviruses from global databases used to monitor viral threats.
Artificial intelligence then analyzed this data and identified the common and unchanging parts that exist between all these viruses, writes the BBC .
Then, artificial intelligence designed an artificial "super-antigen," a key component of the vaccine that teaches the immune system what to recognize and attack.
This super-antigen trains the body to identify and fight any virus from that family, even if it mutates or if a completely new infection emerges that jumps from animals to humans.
"We are always one step behind viruses. What we are trying to do is stay ahead of them, and so far ahead that we can protect ourselves from completely new epidemics or pandemics. This represents a fundamental change in the way we prepare for health crises," Professor Jonathan Heeney from the University of Cambridge told the BBC.
The first phase of clinical trials has been conducted on 39 people, with the main goal of verifying the safety of this technology. The results published in the prestigious Journal of Infection show that the vaccine is safe, while the initial impact on the immune system has been assessed as “moderate”. However, the scientific community remains optimistic about further developments.
A second study is currently underway with around 200 participants, which is expected to provide more accurate data on the strength and quality of the immune response.
Although some independent experts, including Professor Andy Pollard from Oxford, urge caution until larger studies in humans are completed (noting that the human immune system is much more complex than that of laboratory models), there is a general consensus that artificial intelligence represents a turning point that could significantly accelerate drug development and contribute to saving millions of lives. /Telegraph
