Particle.news
Download on the App Store
29 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

AI-Designed 'Super‑Antigen' Vaccine Passes Phase I Safety Test

If larger trials confirm protection, the approach could cut the need for frequent strain updates, speeding how health systems prepare for new viral threats.

Image
Image
In A World First, Fully AI-Designed, Needle-Free, “Universal” Coronavirus Vaccine Completes Human Trials

Overview

  • The Phase I trial, which reported results Thursday, found the AI-designed DNA vaccine was safe in healthy adults and produced modest cross-reactive immune responses to SARS‑CoV‑2, SARS and related bat coronaviruses.
  • Researchers used machine learning on global sarbecovirus sequence data to design a single conserved 'super‑antigen' that targets viral elements unlikely to change and so could train immunity across a whole virus family.
  • The candidate, delivered as a needle‑free DNA injection via a microfluidic high‑pressure jet, showed variable immune signals that investigators say may reflect prior population exposure to SARS‑CoV‑2.
  • The Cambridge team and spin‑out DIOSynVax are preparing a Phase II study expected to recruit about 200 participants to assess whether the immune responses translate into stronger, broader protection.
  • If proven effective in larger trials, the AI platform could be adapted to other virus families such as influenza and Ebola, altering vaccine development by focusing on conserved targets rather than chasing new strains.