Newsman: the Russian government has announced the development of its own cancer vaccine. This vaccine is expected to launch in early 2025 and to be provided free of charge to patients throughout the country.
Russia has developed its own mRNA vaccine against cancer, it will be distributed to patients free of charge, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center of the Russian Ministry of Health Andrey Kaprin has told Radio Rossiya.
The vaccine was developed in collaboration with several research centers. It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025.
Earlier, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told news agency TASS that the vaccine’s pre-clinical trials had shown that it suppresses tumor development and potential metastases.
The vaccine will be distributed to cancer patients for free, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center of the Russian Ministry of Health, Andrey Kaprin, told Radio Rossiya.
Earlier, in an interview with TASS, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg had said that the use of artificial neural networks could bring down the duration of computing required to create a personalized cancer vaccine to less an hour.
“Now it takes quite long to build [personalized vaccines] because computing of how a vaccine, or customized mRNA, should look like uses 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,” Russia’s vaccine chief said.
The vaccine has been developed in collaboration with several research centers and is expected to be released for public use by early 2025.
The vaccine’s pre-clinical trials had shown that it suppresses tumor development and potential metastases, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told TASS.
“Russia has developed its own mRNA vaccine against cancer, it will be distributed to patients free of charge,” said Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Centre of the Russian Ministry of Health. His comments, made during an interview with Radio Rossiya, were reported by the Russian news agency TASS.
This announcement follows earlier remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In televised comments earlier this year, he stated, “We have come very close to the creation of so-called cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation.”
The development of vaccines has been greatly enhanced by advancements in artificial intelligence. Alexander Gintsburg, Russia’s vaccine chief, emphasised the transformative impact of artificial neural networks in decreasing the time needed to create personalised cancer vaccines.
“Now it takes quite long to build [personalised vaccines] because computing how a vaccine, or customised mRNA, should look like uses matrix methods, in mathematical terms,” Gintsburg explained. “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.”
The application of AI in this context marks a significant advancement in the field of oncology, potentially streamlining the complex and time-consuming process of customising vaccines.
What Is An mRNA Vaccine?
mRNA or messenger-RNA vaccines use specific parts of the infectious agent like its protein, sugar, or coating. mRNA vaccine gives a message to our cells to make a protein or even just a piece of a protein which are like those of the virus. The protein then triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
Vaccines role in cancer management
Cancer vaccines work by utilising the body’s immune system to fight against the disease. They stimulate the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells, often by targeting specific proteins or antigens that are present in tumours.
There are two main types of cancer vaccines: therapeutic and preventive. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to train the immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells. They may use modified viruses to deliver tumour-specific antigens. On the other hand, preventive vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine, protect against cancer-causing viruses, thereby reducing the risk of developing cancers like cervical cancer.
By enhancing the body’s natural defenses, these vaccines can slow tumor growth, prevent recurrence, or even eliminate early-stage cancers.
