Researchers from the British University of Cambridge and the biotechnology company DIOSynVax announced the success of the first human test of a new vaccine described as “universal” against coronaviruses, in a step that is considered an important progress towards developing broader means of prevention against future epidemics.
The results of the first clinical trial, which included 39 healthy volunteers, showed that the vaccine was safe and did not cause serious side effects. It also stimulated broad immune responses against a group of Sarbeco viruses, which include the Covid-19 virus that causes coronavirus disease, in addition to the SARS virus, and other types of coronaviruses that are transmitted between animals and may pose a future threat to humans.
According to the study published in the Journal of Infection, the new vaccine is based on an innovative design using artificial intelligence and computer modeling techniques, where an “artificial antigen” was developed capable of stimulating the immune system to deal with multiple viruses at once, instead of targeting only one strain as is the case in traditional vaccines.
The researchers said this is the first time that a vaccine component designed entirely through computer simulation has been tested in humans.
Professor Jonathan Heaney from the University of Cambridge, who is supervising the project, explained that this approach may bring about a radical shift in vaccine development, saying that it “transfers the vaccine development process from reactive response to future prevention,” adding that the new technology may provide continuous protection even as viruses mutate and new strains emerge.
The vaccine was administered to volunteers using a needle-free injection technique that relies on a precise system to deliver the active substance, which may facilitate large-scale vaccination campaigns in the future.
The researchers believe that this technology may later be used to develop vaccines against other dangerous viruses, such as influenza and Ebola viruses, as part of broader efforts to prepare early for epidemic threats.
It is scheduled to move to the second phase of clinical trials, which will include a larger and more diverse number of participants, with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of the immune response more broadly before adopting the vaccine for general use.
The research team confirms that this development represents an important step in the field of preventive medicine, and may contribute to reducing the possibility of future epidemics and reducing their global health and economic impacts.
