Scientists have created a "new type" of vaccine using artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can eliminate multiple virus variants at once and provide advance protection against future pandemics.
According to the University of Cambridge research team, this is the first time scientists have designed the antigen of a vaccine using AI and tested it on humans.
The current vaccine was developed to protect against all COVID-19 variants and all members of the coronavirus family that can transmit from animals and cause disease in humans.
Since viruses typically mutate, current vaccines tend to become outdated within a short time and fail to keep up with new virus variants.
To overcome this, researchers had AI analyze the genetic codes of all known coronavirus variants, and created a "super-antigen" that the body's immune system can recognize and attack regardless of how the viruses change their form.
Currently, the vaccine has been tested in an initial phase with 39 people for safety and efficacy, and will continue to phase two testing with nearly 200 more people.
Although this research is still in early stages, experts are excited about the significant impact it shows on the immune system.
Using this AI technology, the Cambridge team is continuing to test vaccines for influenza that won't need annual updates, avian flu (H5N1) vaccines, and Ebola virus vaccines—which currently have no available vaccines—in animals.
Experts assess that the use of AI technology like this represents a turning point for vaccine research, and since it accelerates vaccine production, it will be able to save many human lives.
Ref: bbc
