Russia has announced the development of a new mRNA cancer vaccine that uses artificial intelligence to personalize treatment for each patient. This vaccine will soon be available and offered for free to Russian citizens.

Andrei Kaprin, head of the Russian Medical Radiology Research Center, stated that the vaccine will be free for Russian patients, even though each dose will cost the state around $2,900.

mRNA vaccines work by introducing a piece of messenger RNA (mRNA) into the body, prompting cells to produce a specific protein. The immune system recognizes this protein as foreign and generates antibodies to fight it. In the case of cancer, this process is designed to help the immune system identify and attack cancer cells.

How is artificial intelligence used in designing the vaccine?

A sample of the tumor is taken from the patient, followed by genetic analysis. AI algorithms are used to identify antigens (unique mutations and proteins) in the tumor. Based on this analysis, the AI designs a customized mRNA vaccine targeting these new antigens. This ensures that the immune system can more effectively recognize and attack the cancer cells. These vaccines are created very quickly, taking no more than 60 minutes.

By personalizing the treatment for each patient, the vaccine can train the immune system to specifically attack and destroy cancer cells by producing the appropriate antibodies, thereby reducing side effects on healthy cells.

This innovation represents a significant advancement in cancer treatments, though it is not certain that the vaccine will work for all types of cancer, and there is not yet sufficient scientific data on its efficacy and development process.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed optimism about progress in this field, stating that the nation is close to developing "next-generation cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs."