Healthcare

Russia develops mRNA cancer vaccine, free distribution planned by early 2025

Healthcare worker displaying a vaccine. [File Photo]

Russia has reportedly developed an mRNA-based cancer vaccine, according to a report by the Russian news agency TASS. Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center under the Russian Ministry of Health, announced on Radio Rossiya that the vaccine would be distributed to cancer patients free of charge.

The vaccine, created in collaboration with various research centers, is expected to become publicly available by early 2025. Preclinical trials have indicated its effectiveness in suppressing tumor growth and preventing potential metastases, as noted by Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.

mRNA, or messenger RNA, vaccines utilise specific components of an infectious agent, such as its proteins, sugars, or coatings. These vaccines instruct cells to produce a protein or part of a protein resembling that of the virus. This protein then prompts the body’s immune system to respond.

In a previous interview with TASS, Gintsburg highlighted the potential role of artificial neural networks in significantly reducing the time needed to develop personalised cancer vaccines.

“Currently, creating personalised vaccines is a time-intensive process because it relies on matrix methods for calculating the design of the vaccine or customised mRNA,” he explained. However, with the involvement of the Ivannikov Institute and the use of AI-based neural network computing, this process could be shortened to as little as 30 to 60 minutes.

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