According to Sky News, researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a world-first vaccine using artificial intelligence that could protect against a range of viruses and potentially help guard against future pandemics. The broadcaster reported that the approach marks a significant departure from the way vaccines are usually developed.
According to Sky News, vaccine development has traditionally followed a reactive pattern. The broadcaster reported that, as it stands, when scientists identify a virus they try to find a vaccine to combat it, and when new mutations emerge they react to those changes after they appear.
According to Sky News, the Cambridge approach works differently by drawing on artificial intelligence. The broadcaster reported that the AI scans the very specific features of viruses and then formulates a vaccine based on that analysis, one designed to target not only the mutations known to exist now but also those that could emerge in the future.
According to Sky News, the research has already been tested in an early-stage trial. The broadcaster reported that 49 people received a vaccine based on many different coronavirus mutations, intended to offer protection against all of them, and that the early results indicated it both worked and was safe.
According to Sky News, the project is now set to move to its next phase. The broadcaster reported that, following the small trial, the research will proceed to a larger trial, with the hope that the vaccine could eventually be rolled out on a wide scale.
According to Sky News, the potential applications of the technology are broad. The broadcaster reported that, if successful, the approach could be used against threats such as bird flu, Ebola and influenza, offering a new tool against viruses that have long challenged public health systems.
According to Sky News, the work has been carried out at the University of Cambridge, with the University of Southampton also involved in the research. The broadcaster reported that the United Kingdom has often been at the forefront of this kind of work, as it was during the COVID period, and that researchers are hopeful the approach could one day be deployed worldwide.