A new vaccine designed by AI to protect against coronaviruses has been safely tested on humans, with results showing it is well-tolerated but requires further research.

Researchers have tested a vaccine designed to protect against a range of coronaviruses, with the pEVAC-PS vaccine being the first designed by AI to be tested on humans. The vaccine aims to enable protection against future mutations and was developed by a team of scientists from the University of Southampton, the University of Cambridge, and DIOSynVax Ltd.

Vaccine Development

The pEVAC-PS vaccine uses a 'super-antigen' designed by artificial intelligence (AI) to create protection against a wide range of viruses, even when mutations occur. Current methods for developing vaccines lack this ability, making frequent reformulations necessary to keep up with ever-changing viruses. The vaccine was administered to healthy volunteers in the U.K. between December 2021 and September 2023, with the goal of creating a vaccine that could defend not only against current COVID-19 variants but also against future coronavirus threats.

Trial Results

The phase I clinical trial involved 39 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 50 who had already received 2 or 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccines but had not recently contracted the virus. Participants were divided into four groups, each receiving different doses of the pEVAC-PS vaccine. The vaccine was well-tolerated by all participants, with no serious adverse events reported. Most side effects were mild or moderate and included expected reactions such as soreness at the injection site or mild fatigue.