CAMBRIDGE: A new bird flu vaccine developed using artificial intelligence (AI) has shown promising results in early animal trials, potentially opening new avenues for developing vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
According to research conducted by the University of Cambridge and its spinout company DIOSynVax, all experimental animals vaccinated with the AI-designed vaccine survived exposure to different strains of bird flu, while only about half of those receiving conventional vaccines survived.
The study, published in the scientific journal Cell Reports Medicine, found that the new vaccine provided complete protection to mice and ferrets against genetically diverse strains of bird flu.
All the virus strains included in the study have previously been reported to infect humans.
The research was led by Professor Jonathan Heeney of the University of Cambridge, with independent assessments by laboratories in Canada and Italy also confirming the vaccine's effectiveness.
AI vaccine addresses limitations of conventional vaccines
The study also highlighted a major limitation of existing bird flu vaccines.
Governments currently stockpile vaccines for human use based on selected virus strains identified under the World Health Organization's pandemic influenza preparedness programme. As a result, conventional vaccines generally provide stronger protection against specific strains but may offer limited protection against other variants.
Researchers said viruses constantly undergo genetic changes, making frequent updates to conventional vaccines necessary and increasing costs for governments.
The findings suggest that AI-assisted vaccine development could pave the way for vaccines capable of providing protection against multiple virus strains simultaneously.
However, researchers cautioned that further studies and clinical trials will be necessary to establish the vaccine's safety and effectiveness in humans.
