Russia claims to have developed a new mRNA vaccine against cancer, scheduled for public release in early 2025 and to be distributed free of charge.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Feb 18, 2025
Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center, confirmed the development of the vaccine on Radio Rossiya.
2
Pre-clinical trials have shown promising results, with the vaccine reportedly suppressing tumor development and potential metastases.
3
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously hinted at this breakthrough, stating they had "come very close to the creation of so-called cancer vaccines."
4
Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center, revealed that AI could potentially reduce the time to create personalized cancer vaccines to under an hour.
5
Unlike COVID-19 mRNA vaccines that target a single antigen, cancer mRNA vaccines focus on multiple antigens found on tumor cell surfaces.
6
The mRNA vaccines work by delivering genetic instructions that enable the body's cells to produce specific cancer proteins, training the immune system to recognize and attack them.
7
Current cancer vaccines are typically personalized, teaching each patient's immune system to combat their unique cancer, with production taking about two months.
8
Russia is not alone in this field - companies like Moderna, Merck, BioNTech, and CureVac are also developing mRNA cancer vaccines.
9
Therapeutic cancer vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, while preventive vaccines (like HPV) protect against viruses linked to cancer.