A new AI-designed “universal” coronavirus vaccine trialled in Southampton could help protect against viruses that have not yet emerged, potentially saving millions of lives and avoiding future lockdowns. The jab, developed by a team at the University of Cambridge and spin‑out company DIOSynVax, is the first vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations to be tested in humans.
Researchers used global genetic sequence data from a large group of coronaviruses, including SARS‑CoV‑2, to build a synthetic “super antigen” that stitches together the key features these viruses have in common. The goal is to offer long‑lasting protection against an entire family of viruses, even as they mutate or jump from animals to humans. In a phase I trial involving 39 healthy volunteers at University Hospital Southampton’s NIHR Clinical Research Facility and a partnered NIHR site at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, the vaccine was found to be safe and well tolerated.
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The trial showed that the jab triggered immune responses not only to SARS‑CoV‑2 and SARS, but also to related bat viruses that could potentially spill over into people and cause future pandemics. “This new class of universal vaccines are future‑proofed. They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven’t yet emerged and spilt over to humans,” the research team said. “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.”
The concept hinges on using artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse past and current outbreaks, pinpointing the elements viruses need to survive and selecting those as targets. Professor Marian Knight, scientific director for NIHR Infrastructure, hailed the early findings, saying: “The remarkable success of this AI‑designed ‘super‑antigen’ trial marks a pivotal leap forward in our ability to deliver broad, lasting viral protection.”
While the phase I data, published in the Journal of Infection, confirm safety and show encouraging immune responses, further development will be needed before the vaccine is ready for public use. A larger phase II study will now test the jab in a wider and more diverse population to confirm that it can generate strong, broadly protective immune responses, and researchers are already exploring how the same AI‑guided platform could be applied to other major viral threats, including haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.
