How AI-powered cutting-edge technology is revolutionising vaccine development Scientists are using artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly design vaccines tailored to individual patients in oncology and universal designs for infectious diseases. This innovation could revolutionise the treatment landscape.
I Saverio Niccolini CEO, NEC OncoImmunity, an NEC Bio Company
Kaidre Bendjama CSO, NEC OncoImmunity, an NEC Bio Company
WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway
Paid for by NEC Bio B.V.
n the complex field of vaccine development, AI isn’t just a game-changer. It could also be a lifesaver. For instance, NEC Bio uses state-of-the-art machine learning technology to design vaccines that could significantly improve outcomes for cancer patients. The company has already developed applications in the oncology space and is looking to repeat the same success in infectious diseases. “In 2019, the company decided to make AI-based drug development a growth area,” explains Saverio Niccolini, CEO at NEC Oncolmmunity, a subsidiary of NEC Bio. “Many biotechs try to acquire AI capabilities without having a deep understanding of it. Whereas, AI is in our DNA.”
the trial who were given the vaccine have experienced a relapse, and there have been no reported safety issues. Ultimately, if the trial is successful and the vaccine is approved, it could change the treatment landscape for various cancers by providing patients with a new class of targeted therapy.”
Creating universal vaccines for infectious disease The company has now repurposed its AI oncology model to create universal vaccines for various infectious diseases, including HBV and influenza. It has also partnered with CEPI (the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other betacorona viruses. “Unlike oncology vaccines that are personalised to the patient, we aim to create universal infectious disease vaccines that are targeted at whole virus families or across a range of virus variants,” says With artificial Bendjama. “However, it’s still early intelligence, we can days. Animal studies have yielded interesting data and look promising for design a targeted future clinical applications.”
Modelling the entire immune system with AI By using AI technology to model the body’s entire immune system, scientists are able to create vaccines, in oncology, tailored to individual patients. “This type of personalisation is only possible because of AI,” says Niccolini. “Think of it this way: there are millions of cancer cells in the body with different vaccine, in silico, in a mutations. There are also millions of cells that can stimulate potential Accelerating the path from drug discovery matter of days. immune responses to kill the cancer. to market These vast numbers can only be While it is certainly challenging to be computationally resolved with AI working in the vaccine development modelling, which mimics the molecular processing field, it also presents us with an exciting opportunity happening inside each of these cells.” to apply NEC Bio’s expertise in AI, says Niccolini. AI has also put rocket boosters under the company’s “Although we can design vaccines quickly with AI, vaccine development timelines. “Engineering a vaccine we still face the long wait for drug approvals through in a wet lab can take months,” says Niccolini. “Yet, with clinical trials,” he says. artificial intelligence, we can design a targeted vaccine, “This is understandable because there needs in silico, in a matter of days.” to be rigorous analysis of the impact of new drugs An example of this is the company’s personalised on patients. However, as we recognised during the vaccine for patients with head and neck cancer. While pandemic, the process needs to be accelerated, which still in clinical trials, so far, the results look promising. is why we are open to collaboration with pharma “In a significant proportion of these patients, the cancer companies and not only offer our drug development returns within two years of the first treatment,” explains technologies but also ICT technologies that can Kaidre Bendjama, CSO. “To prevent recurrence, we potentially shorten the operational timelines. Relying created a bespoke vaccine in partnership with a biotech on pharma partners’ clinical development expertise, we firm. We’re pleased to say that none of the patients in believe that we can bring the drug to the patient faster.”
Q4 2024 HEALTHAWARENESS.CO.UK
NEC Bio is a fully owned subsidiary of the NEC Corporation, a 125-year-old Tokyo-based IT and electronics multinational conglomerate.
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