Russia expands therapeutic vaccine program to include three new cancers

Scientific Director Alexander Gintsburg announced plans to develop three new therapeutic vaccines for bladder cancer, small cell lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. This follows the launch of experimental treatments for melanoma, the first cancer targeted by this technology in Russia. Unlike preventive vaccines, these treatments are administered to patients already diagnosed with cancer.

They utilize personalized immunotherapy, stimulating the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells more effectively. The process involves taking tumor and healthy tissue samples, genetically sequencing them to identify cancer-specific mutations, and then using algorithms to select tumor proteins neoantigens likely to provoke an immune response. This information allows researchers to design a messenger RNA mRNA vaccine tailored to each patient's tumor.

The Russian program is currently most advanced in melanoma treatment, with the first patients receiving personalized therapeutic vaccines in 2026 as part of a clinical protocol. Gintsburg stated that the next steps involve adapting this technology for bladder, small cell lung, and colorectal cancers. Researchers have also developed a prototype for non-small cell lung cancer.

These three cancers were chosen due to significant medical challenges: colorectal cancer is a le