AI-designed 'universal vaccine' passes first human clinical trial, could prevent future pandemics

Traditional 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.

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.

The trial vaccine was administered through a micro-fluid jet that delivers the immunization through the skin using a tiny, high-pressure stream of liquid and does not require a needle. The researchers said this method could make it "faster and easier to carry out in large numbers of people."

"This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed," Faust said. "They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven't yet emerged and spilt over to humans. If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved."

AI also sometimes produces erroneous information, called "hallucinations," and determining who is liable for medical failings in such situations is a complex matter.

Others have expressed concern over patient privacy, as well as the need for human judgment that takes into account the scope of a patient's health history, rather than a single dataset.

The universal-vaccine researchers said that a larger trial involving "a wider and more diverse population" is needed. They published their findings in Journal of Infection.