Cancer has a vaccine now, thank you, Russia

Russia claims the development of a cancer vaccine

• According to reports, the likely development of a vaccine that cures cancer has given hope against a dreadful affliction that has been a threat to mankind for centuries.
• Scientists in Russia have announced that a vaccine they developed has showcased 100 per cent efficacy in clinical trials.
• According to reports, three vaccines have been developed, one using the mRNA (messenger RNA) technology, which will prompt the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells by producing tumour-specific antigens.
• Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna had used the same technology to develop COVID-19 vaccines.

What were the results from the clinical trials?

• The early-stage clinical trials of the vaccine, which is in the news, involved 48 patients with colorectal cancer.
• The vaccine developed by Russia’s National Medical Research Radiology Centre and the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology was seen as shrinking the tumours and slowing their growth.
• No severe side effects were reported during the clinical trials.
• Work on other versions of the vaccine that cure other types of cancer is going on.
• According to reports, vaccines that are in the pre-clinical trial stage have also shown positive results.

When will the vaccine be market-ready?

• These are still early days; the vaccine has to go through clinical trials on a bigger scale.
• Vaccines take years, sometimes decades to develop and to be announced as being market-ready.
• For a comprehensive assessment of the efficacy of the vaccine, clinical trials need to be conducted on genetically diverse cohorts of individuals in different geographies.
• Side-effects may arise after years which means the mark of efficiency may be further delayed.
• Covid-19 vaccines were developed under tight deadlines to counter the epidemic which was emerging as a global threat.
• Ongoing research is going on to refine these vaccines. Meanwhile, reservations and apprehensions about their use remain.
• Cancer is a major killer and the world’s cancer burden has been increasing in recent times for various reasons, including but not limited to a major change in lifestyle patterns.
• Treatment of cancer is expensive and takes years, which makes it out of reach for larger sections of the population.
• The various modes of treatment that are trending, like chemotherapy, have side effects too.
• The world has been seeking a cure for the disease, and the possibility of a vaccine brings relief.
• Research on cancer vaccines has been overtaken in several countries.
• Clinical trials have been announced in the UK.
• According to reports, India has also started research on a vaccine that will cure some types of cancer.

Editor’s Note

• As the world has been waiting for decades to find a cure for cancer, the world will watch the developments in Russia keenly. With clinical trials announced in the UK and India, it is safe to say that Russia is not the only country on the path to developing a vaccine to cure cancer. It will be interesting to see how much time it will require to come up with a market-ready version of the life-saving vaccine.

Keywords

• #vaccine #clinicaltrials #cancer #development