Free Russian Cancer Vaccine on the Horizon

Russia plans to give away a custom cancer vaccine starting in early 2025. Andrey Kaprin, the head of Russia’s Radiology Medical Research Center, said their vaccine targets cancer by stopping tumors from growing and spreading. Unlike vaccines that prevent cancer, this one is designed for patients already battling the disease. Experts like Alexander Gintsburg from Moscow's Gamaleya Center believe this approach could harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. Scientists around the world are also exploring similar ideas. For instance, the U. K. and Germany are teaming up to create personalized cancer treatments, and companies like Moderna and Merck are working on a skin cancer vaccine. Even vaccines against human papillomaviruses (HPV) help prevent certain cancers. In the U. S. , researchers from the University of Florida have been testing a unique approach. They extracted genetic material from tumors, amplified it, and packaged it in nanoparticles. This tricked patients’ immune systems into attacking cancer cells. Four patients involved in the trial had better outcomes than expected. It’s exciting, but we need to know more. Which cancers will the Russian vaccine treat? How effective is it? And what’s it called? Until then, it's great that scientists are finding new ways to fight cancer.