Thirty-nine healthy volunteers received an experimental coronavirus vaccine whose active ingredient was designed entirely by computer, and none had significant side effects. The trial, run by the University of Cambridge and its spinout DIOSynVax, is the first time such a vaccine has been tested in people.
The vaccine also produced immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, against SARS, and against related bat viruses that have not yet infected humans. The results were published in the Journal of Infection.
A super-antigen built by software
Researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to design what they call a “super-antigen.” The antigen is the part of a vaccine that teaches the immune system what to attack. Instead of picking one strain, the system studied genetic data on Sarbeco coronaviruses gathered through surveillance programs worldwide, found the features common to the whole group, and merged them into a single antigen. The Sarbeco family includes the COVID-19 virus, SARS and several bat coronaviruses that could spill over into humans.
Most current vaccines, from seasonal flu shots to updated COVID boosters, are built around strains already circulating. Viruses keep changing, so those shots need regular reformulation.
“We’ve converted vaccine development from being reactive to being future proof,” said Professor Jonathan Heeney of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine, who led the research. He said the approach lets scientists “escape the constant cycle of chasing the virus variants circulating in humans and updating the vaccines to try to catch up, like a dog chasing its tail.”
How the trial worked
Volunteers aged 18 to 50 were vaccinated at National Institute for Health and Care Research clinical research facilities in Southampton and Cambridge. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust sponsored the study, and Innovate UK provided most of the funding.
The antigen went in as a DNA vaccine delivered by a micro fluid jet, with no needle. Researchers say that could suit people who dislike injections and might make mass campaigns easier and faster, especially where standard injections are hard to give. Animal studies before the trial had already shown strong immune responses against several coronaviruses.
Professor Saul Faust of the University of Southampton, the chief investigator, said viruses such as influenza, coronaviruses and the Ebola group evolve constantly, and by the time vaccines roll out “they may be poorly matched.” He said that if a vaccine of this kind can be advanced before an outbreak, “millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved.”
Professor Marian Knight, scientific director for NIHR Infrastructure, called the result a leap forward in delivering broad, lasting protection against viruses.
What comes next
The vaccine is not ready for public use. A larger Phase 2 study is planned to test immune responses in a wider and more varied group and to confirm that the protection is strong and broad. Researchers believe the same method could eventually be applied to Ebola viruses and influenza. DIOSynVax, founded in 2017 with support from Cambridge Enterprise, already has candidates in development for seasonal and pandemic flu and hemorrhagic fever viruses.
