Russia says it has developed a cancer vaccine that it will offer for free

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Express newspaper

18/12/2024 21:36

Russia's Health Ministry claims to have developed a cancer vaccine that will be distributed to patients for free.

Andrey Kaprin, head of the Medical Research Center of Radiology at the Health Ministry, said the vaccine will be launched in early 2025, according to state media.

The vaccine will reportedly be used to treat cancer patients, rather than being given to the general public to prevent the formation of tumors.

Previous statements by Russian scientists suggest that each vaccine dose is personalized for each patient, an approach similar to cancer vaccines being developed in the West.

It is currently not clear what types of cancer the vaccine is designed for, how effective it is, or how Russia plans to distribute it.

The name of the vaccine has not been made public.

Like in the rest of the world, cancer cases are on the rise in Russia, with more than 635,000 cases recorded in 2022.

Colon, breast and lung cancers are believed to be the most common forms of the disease in the country.

Personalized cancer vaccines are designed to teach the immune system how to recognize and attack a patient's specific cancer proteins.

To achieve this, vaccines use genetic material called RNA from the patient's tumor.

Just as traditional vaccines use parts of the virus to prevent disease, these use harmless proteins from the surface of cancer cells, known as antigens.

When these antigens enter the body, they stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against them, which then destroy cancer cells.

Other countries are also working to develop their own personalized cancer vaccines.

In May, researchers at the University of Florida tested an individual vaccine in four patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that killed Senators John McCain and Beau Biden.

The researchers found that the vaccine triggered a strong immune response just two days after injection.

In the UK, scientists are testing a personalized vaccine for melanoma.

Early results have shown that it significantly improves the chances of survival from this disease, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Steve Young, a 52-year-old with melanoma in the UK, received the vaccine as part of a clinical trial.

"This is my best chance to stop cancer," he said. /Express newspaper/