A team led by Darwin Fellow Professor Jonathan Heeney has developed a new vaccine against bird flu which significantly outperformed the vaccines currently stockpiled against potential human outbreak. In a study published yesterday in Cell Reports Medicine, the vaccine provided complete protection in animal trials, compared with the 50% protection achieved by existing measures.
The new vaccine, designed to give lasting protection from thousands of virus variants in a single vaccine, is the latest to be developed by the Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics and its spin-out DIOSynVax Ltd under Jonathan’s leadership. In a pioneering new approach, the team uses AI-guided engineering to create vaccines intended to remain effective across a wide range of existing and future variants – unlike current models which need frequent updating in response to mutating pathogens.
“These new-generation vaccines are a game changer for national biosecurity and more resilient public health,” says Jonathan, who was recently appointed as the University’s first Professor of Research in Vaccinology.
“They mean we can be much better prepared to respond immediately to virus epidemics and pandemics, rather than the current scenario of always being on the back foot and responding with a strain which will have changed.”
Read the full story on the University website.
