Russia Develops Cancer Vaccine, & to be Free for all from 2025

An mRNA-based vaccine for cancer patients has been developed in Russia, marking a revolutionary advancement in cancer treatment. Russian people will receive this ground-breaking vaccination, which is scheduled to be introduced in early 2025, at no cost, according to governmental media sources.

According to the state, each dose of the customized vaccine, which includes genetic material from a patient’s tumor, will cost about 300,000 rubles (USD 2,869). Ministry of Health Radiology Medical Research Center chief Andrey Kaprin delivered the statement. The goal of this vaccination, according to Kaprin, is to treat cancer patients rather than stop tumors from growing.

The head of the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Alexander Gintsburg, provided insight into the intricate procedure that went into making the vaccine.

“Now it takes quite a long time to build [personalised vaccines] because computing using a vaccine, or customised mRNA, should look like using matrix methods, in mathematical terms. We have involved the Ivannikov Institute, which will rely on AI in doing this math, namely neural network computing, where these procedures should take about half an hour to an hour,” Gintsburg explained in an interview with TASS.

How it works

The vaccination trains the immune system to recognize and combat cancer cells using elements of the patient’s tumor. It assists the body in identifying distinct proteins on the surface of cancer cells called antigens. Upon introduction, these antigens trigger the production of antibodies by the immune system, which allows it to efficiently target and eliminate cancer cells.

With more than 635,000 new cases recorded in 2022, cancer rates in Russia have been gradually increasing. In the nation, lung, breast, and colon cancers are among the most frequently diagnosed cancers.

The new vaccination is a reflection of similar initiatives to develop customized cancer treatments that are being carried out in Western countries. A customized vaccination was recently tested on patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive kind of brain cancer, in the United States by researchers at the University of Florida. Within two days after injection, the vaccine produced a strong immunological response, demonstrating encouraging outcomes.

Meanwhile, researchers in the UK are testing a customized vaccination to prevent melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer. Initial results show higher survival rates.