Big breakthrough in medical science: Russia develops cancer vaccine

In a world that has nearly forgotten the scientific feats of the Soviet Union, Russia has developed an experimental, personalised mRNA-based cancer vaccine called EnteroMix, which has shown promising results in early-stage trials but is not yet publicly available. It requires large-scale human clinical trials and regulatory approval before general use.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a complex disease defined by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that can invade nearby tissues and spread (metastasise) to other parts of the body, disrupting normal functions; it's not a single illness but over 100 different diseases, all stemming from genetic mutations that break normal cell growth rules, often caused by lifestyle/environmental factors but sometimes inherited.

How it starts

Normal cells: Grow, divide, and die in an orderly way, replacing old cells as needed.

Cancer cells: Develop mutations, causing them to ignore signals to stop dividing, leading to excessive growth and forming masses called tumours.

Tumours: Can be benign (non-cancerous, don't spread) or malignant (cancerous, invade tissues and metastasise).

Key characteristics

Uncontrolled growth: Cells divide excessively and don't die off.

Invasion: Malignant cells break through normal boundaries.

Metastasis: Cancer cells travel via blood or lymph to form new tumours elsewhere.

Causes

Genetic mutations: Most cancers (90-95%) are due to acquired mutations from lifestyle (tobacco, diet, obesity, infections, radiation, pollution).

Inherited genes: A smaller percentage (5-10%) is due to inherited predispositions.

Types & treatment

Many types: Cancers are classified by where they start (e.g., lung, breast, colon) and behave differently.

Diverse treatments: Treatments (surgery, chemo, radiation, immunotherapy) vary based on the cancer type, stage, and location.

How a vaccine against cancer could be made possible

Russia has developed two types of cancer vaccines currently in the testing phase: a personalised mRNA-based vaccine and an oncolytic virus-based vaccine called EnteroMix. Both have shown promising results in early studies, but they are not yet publicly available and are still awaiting regulatory approval and large-scale human clinical trials.

Russia has announced a major medical breakthrough after confirming that a cancer vaccine will soon be offered free to patients around the world, a move that could reshape global cancer care. The vaccine targets the molecular markers found on tumor cells and trains the immune… pic.twitter.com/pTyFSIRUax

— Shining Science (@ShiningScience) December 14, 2025

Technology: The vaccine uses mRNA technology, similar to some COVID-19 vaccines, to train a patient's immune system to recognise and attack their specific cancer cells.

Personalisation: It is designed to be highly personalised, with a "tumour passport" created for each patient based on their unique tumour's genetic profile.

Trial status: The vaccine has successfully completed preclinical (animal) studies, which reportedly showed significant tumour reduction (60-80%) and improved survival rates. Small-scale human trials have begun with a limited number of volunteers.

Efficacy claims: While some reports claim 100% success in early trials, these results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and global experts urge caution until more data is available.

Target cancers: The initial version targets colorectal cancer, with development underway for glioblastoma (an aggressive brain tumour) and melanoma.

Availability: Russian officials aim for the vaccine to be rolled out as early as 2026 and have suggested it will be provided free to Russian citizens. However, there is no official timeline for international availability.

Expert perspective

The medical community views Russia's progress as a significant development in personalised medicine but stresses the need for stringent clinical trials (Phases 1, 2, and 3) to confirm its safety and efficacy on a large scale. The process for developing and approving cancer treatments is lengthy, often taking years, as seen with similar global efforts from companies like Moderna and Merck.