Trials underway for AI’s universal flu vaccine

A study by Xiaojian Zhang of the University of Georgia explored an innovative approach to developing a universal influenza vaccine using Artificial Intelligence (AI). The new approach, called ‘Computationally Optimized Broadly Reactive Antigen’ (COBRA), is an AI-based tool that analyses historical and circulating viral sequences to create a database of protein changes called hemagglutinins (HA). The system employs machine learning to identify retained viral epitopes, defined as the part recognised by the immune system, thereby minimising the risk of immune loss. Furthermore, the AI accelerates preclinical testing by predicting immune responses and determining necessary adjustments to the vaccine formulation. Utilising COBRA, the research team successfully created HA antigens capable of inducing broad immunity against various influenza strains. This could help overcome the limitations of current flu vaccines, which are strain-specific and often ineffective against new variants. The rapid evolution of flu viruses requires constant updating of vaccines to combat them. The researchers tested COBRA on mice, which resisted lethal influenza infections with minimal side effects. The results of the mouse study are encouraging; however, further validation is required in human clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of the treatment in different populations. According to the researchers, a universal flu vaccine could be available within a couple of years.