Russia announces new free mRNA cancer vaccine for citizens

The Russian Federation has announced a new mRNA cancer vaccine to be administered to citizens ‘free of charge.’

Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation announced the new vaccine in a meeting with top security and other officials of the country on 17 December, stating that it could revolutionize cancer treatment and prevention.

The vaccine is expected to be rolled out to all Russian indigenes in 2025 and will cost nothing to get.

Revolutionizing cancer treatments

There are many years of research into cancer causes and treatments. Up until now, the most popular treatment is chemotherapy, which is extremely expensive and not accessible to most people.

Russia’s new vaccine is set to change that, as it does not only prevent infections like is the case with most vaccines. Instead, it identifies malignant cells using certain genetic markers and selectively destroys them, thus treating the cancer. 

It is therefore not a universal vaccine, but instead a personal vaccine that works specifically depending on the patient that takes it. The head of Gamaleya center where the vaccine is being developed, Alexander Gintburg said:

“This is not a universal vaccine. On the contrary, it is a personalized vaccine, not only for each type of cancer but also for each respective cancer patient. And it is a therapeutic vaccine, it does not protect as against infectious diseases, it treats individually those patients who suffer from oncological diseases.”

The vaccine directs the immune system of the patient to destroy malignant tumors using cytotoxic lymphocytes present in the patient’s immune system. 

Gamaleya Center is working with two other leading cancer centers in the country — the Herzen Center and the Blokhin Center — to finalize the development ahead of the release next year.

Progress in cancer research

Although definitive treatments like the one claimed by Russia have not been found, significant progress has been made in cancer research.

Earlier this year, scientists at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York discovered the secret behind the spread of metastatic cancer.