AI-Crafted Broad-Spectrum DNA Vaccine Enters First Human Trial

Cambridge researchers used AI to design a DNA vaccine targeting conserved features across the sarbecovirus family (including SARS and related bat viruses) and tested it in humans for the first time. The trial found the vaccine to be safe and capable of inducing antibodies that recognize diverse sarbecoviruses, but the immune response was modest and durability/protection in the real world remain uncertain, necessitating larger trials. If successful, such broad-spectrum, needle-free vaccines could enhance pandemic preparedness and distribution, especially in lower-income regions.