A vaccine created using artificial intelligence that could potentially provide broader protection against multiple coronaviruses and help prepare for future outbreaks has passed its first human clinical trial.Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton developed a "universal vaccine" designed to protect against multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses, which the university explained in a news release is "the large group of viruses that occur in nature including SARS-CoV-2, which caused the COVID pandemic."CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESTraditional vaccines must constantly be updated as viruses mutate, and the process is "like a dog chasing its tail," said University of Southampton professor Saul Faust, the trial’s chief investigator."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," Faust said.Researchers have developed a vaccine using AI that has proven to be promising in "future-proofing" people against mutating infections.(iStock)An antigen is the active ingredient in a vaccine meant to trigger an immune-system response and fight off infection.
According to the release, the university scientists logged all the available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses and used AI used to design a "super-antigen" that contains the antigen features "common to this whole group of viruses – including ones that haven’t emerged yet."The trial of the vaccine proved safe and triggered an immune response in 39 healthy volunteers, marking "the first time that a vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans," the release said.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERThe trial vaccine was administered through a micro-fluid jet that delivers the immunization through the skin using a tiny, high-pressure stream of liquid ...