Cambridge has created the first vaccine designed by artificial intelligence: it has already been tested on humans

A team of scientists from the University of Cambridge announced a breakthrough in medicine – the creation of a new type of vaccine, the key component of which was designed entirely by artificial intelligence. According to the BBC, this is the first such case in the world when such an antigen has already been tested on humans.

The new development is designed to provide universal protection against all coronaviruses – not only from known variants of COVID-19, but also from potentially dangerous viruses that are currently circulating among animals and may cause a new pandemic in the future.

Unlike traditional vaccines, which are created for a specific strain of the virus, the researchers used the genetic codes of different coronaviruses, and the artificial intelligence system based on them formed the so-called “superantigen”. Its task is to teach the immune system to recognize a whole group of related viruses even after mutations.

The first stage of clinical trials involved 39 volunteers and was aimed at testing the safety of the drug. The second phase is currently underway with the participation of about 200 people, where scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the immune response.

The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Journal of Infection. Although the immune response is currently assessed as moderate, experts already call the technology promising and potentially revolutionary.

Scientists are also working on similar universal vaccines against seasonal influenza, avian influenza H5N1 and various types of the Ebola virus, which could significantly change the global approach to combating future pandemics.