Moscow: In a significant medical breakthrough, Russian scientists have created a universal cancer vaccine that utilises messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) cell therapy technology. An innovative new drug(2) devised decades ago—with the first clinical trials conducted as far back as the late 2000s—has now been unleashed to its fever-pitch potential.
The vaccine works by injecting a specific mRNA sequence into the body. This causes the cells to produce proteins that the immune system reacts to as harmful. This launches an immune response that can effectively target and kill cancer cells.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this treatment, however, is the personalisation. Graders use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the specific characteristics of each patient’s tumours. Based on this analysis, they write up a custom blueprint for the vaccine, which can be made within a week.
Earlier preclinical trials, completed in September, reported astonishing success, with animal trials showing an 80% decrease in tumour size. After these promising results, President Vladimir Putin acclaimed the vaccine as a “breakthrough” that can upend oncology as soon as it’s released.
Its vaccine is reported to have cost 300,000 rubles (nearly $3,095 USD) to produce. However, patients who qualify will not have to pay for it, as it will be available free of charge via Russia’s national healthcare system, where everyone who needs this life-saving treatment is taken into account.
The mRNA-based cancer vaccine will be free to eligible patients in early 2025. The revolutionary development is the joint work of the Gamaleya Research Center, the Hertsen Oncology Research Institute, and the Blokhin Cancer Research Center.
Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the Gamaleya Center, announced in 2024 that this technology could be adapted under medical science for treating all cancers.
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