AI platform rapidly designs T-cell vaccines that provide broad coverage
Current COVID-19 vaccines are designed to trigger an antibody response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which is vulnerable to mutations that could make the vaccine less effective over time. Focusing instead on T cells, Penn State researchers collaborated with Evaxion Biotech on a study that was the first to demonstrate theeffectiveness of a vaccine generated by artificial intelligence. Such a vaccine could provide long-lasting immunity against future emerging variants and could be used as a model for other seasonal viral diseases such as influenza. In their study, the researchers tested mice with a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2 and found that 87.5% of the mice vaccinated with the T-cell-based vaccine survived, while only one of the mice in the group of control survived. Furthermore, all surviving vaccinated mice cleared the infection within 14 days of the challenge. The findings were published April 11 in Frontiers in Immunology.
“To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate in vivo [in un organismo vivente] protection against severe COVID-19 by an AI-designed T-cell vaccine,” said Girish Kirimanjeswara, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences at Penn State. Our vaccine was extremely effective at preventing severe COVID-19 in mice and can easily be scaled up to start testing in humans as well.” This research also paves the way for the potential rapid design of new T-cell vaccines against emerging and seasonal viral diseases, such as influenza.”
