In a major development, the Russian Health Ministry declared that it has created a cancer vaccine that will be made available to patients “for free” when it launches in early 2025, according to news agency TASS.
“Russia has developed its own mRNA vaccine against cancer, it will be distributed to patients free of charge, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center of the Russian Ministry of Health Andrey Kaprin has told Radio Rossiya,” it read.
Because they increase the immune system’s capacity to recognize and combat cancer cells, vaccines are essential in the fight against cancer.
Therapeutic cancer vaccines teach the immune system to identify and eliminate tumor cells by targeting particular proteins or antigens present on the cells. To deliver these antigens and elicit a strong immune response, several vaccines employ viruses that have been weakened or altered.
By protecting against viruses linked to cancer, preventive immunizations like the HPV vaccine reduce the risk of developing specific cancers, such cervical cancer. Vaccines are a promising technique in oncology because they can help delay the growth of tumors, prevent recurrence, or even eradicate early-stage cancers by bolstering the body’s natural defenses.
