AI-designed coronavirus vaccine safe in first human trial

Researchers have successfully completed the first human trial of a novel vaccine designed to provide broad protection against a wide range of coronaviruses, including future pandemic threats. The trial demonstrated the vaccine's safety and represents a significant shift toward proactive immunization strategies using artificial intelligence.

The Phase I clinical trial, conducted by a team from the University of Cambridge and the biotechnology company DIOSynVax, involved 39 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 50. The study took place at National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Facilities in Southampton and Cambridge. Results, published in the Journal of Infection, showed the vaccine was safe with no significant side effects and triggered immune responses not only to SARS-CoV-2 and SARS but also to related bat coronaviruses with potential to jump to humans.

This vaccine employs a fundamentally new design. Instead of using antigens from a single, known virus strain, researchers used AI and machine learning to analyze all available global genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses. This allowed them to create a "superantigen" incorporating features common...