Adding another 'weapon' against cancer.

Cancer vaccine - Image 1.

Inside a cancer vaccine research lab in France. The field of immunology is expected to create upcoming breakthroughs in cancer treatment - Photo: AFP

Since U.S. President Richard Nixon declared "the war on cancer" in 1971, humanity has been battling the disease for decades.

However, because cancer is not a single disease but a group of diseases, much of the progress comes not from major breakthroughs but from thousands of smaller advances in screening, surgery, and medication.

The latest developments, including cancer vaccines and cold plasma therapy that can target hidden cancer cells, are offering hope to many patients.

"Highly effective vaccine"

On September 6th, Veronika Skvortsova, head of the Federal Agency for Health and Biological Sciences (FMBA) of Russia, announced at the Eastern Economic Forum that the Russian cancer vaccine had successfully passed preclinical trials, demonstrating both high safety and efficacy. The FMBA is awaiting approval from the Russian Ministry of Health for clinical use.

This bold announcement immediately sparked global curiosity. Built on personalized mRNA technology, the vaccine, called Enteromix, could redefine cancer treatment.

According to Skvortsova, this cancer vaccine uses similar technology to the COVID-19 vaccine but is customized for each individual.

Research results show it is 100% effective in activating the immune system, shrinking tumors and slowing their growth by 60 to 80%, and has also been proven safe for repeated use.

The mechanism of action of vaccines is to train the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.

"Enteromix uses RNA extracted from the patient's own tumor cells to teach their immune system how to attack the cancer," explained Yulia Mikhailova, a molecular oncologist on the research team.

Therefore, it does not cause serious side effects like chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The first versions of this vaccine will be used to fight colorectal cancer, glioblastoma – a type of brain cancer, and some types of melanoma – a form of skin cancer, according to the company.
Sputnik news.

Immunotherapy researcher Hrishikesh Menon at the Tata Memorial Centre (India) believes that mRNA technology will help vaccines function with surgical precision at the molecular level. He believes the research by Russian scientists is very promising but also needs to be evaluated for its long-term effectiveness.

Russia is not the only country in the world participating in this race, as many biotechnology companies globally – including BioNTech (Germany), Moderna (USA), and CureVac – are also testing personalized mRNA cancer vaccines for tumors including pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and lung cancer.

Cold plasma

German scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), in collaboration with colleagues from Greifswald University Hospital and Rostock University Medical Center, have demonstrated that cold plasma can successfully destroy tumor cells even in deep tissue layers.

Plasma is an ionized gas that produces a large number of chemically active molecules, collectively known as reactive oxygen species (RESS) and nitrogen species (RIS). These short-lived molecules can strongly influence biological processes, including determining whether cancer cells survive or are destroyed.

Additionally, plasma can destroy any remaining cancer cells, which may help reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery.

"Our results could significantly improve the application of plasma in medicine. The better we understand which molecules are active in tissue, the more precisely plasma devices can be used for each type of cancer," said Professor Sander Bekeschus, head of the Plasma Medicine research program at INP.

Many achievements and breakthroughs in cancer treatment are kindling hope. According to experts, the survival rate of cancer patients has improved significantly over the past decade. For example, childhood leukemia (a type of blood cancer) was once considered a death sentence, but now the 5-year survival rate for this disease is over 90%.

Dr. Radheshyam Naik, Head of the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Department at Sammprada Hospital (India), said that the major breakthroughs in cancer research recently have been in genes and proteins.

"Combined immunotherapy and antibody therapy are expected to be the next breakthroughs within the next decade. Artificial intelligence (AI) could also revolutionize the oncology industry by analyzing massive datasets, improving treatment personalization, and minimizing errors," he assessed in the New India Express.

The leading cause of death

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, equivalent to almost one-sixth of all deaths from the disease.

The most common types of cancer are breast, lung, colon, rectal, and prostate cancer. Approximately one-third of cancer deaths are linked to smoking, being overweight, alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, and lack of physical activity. Additionally, air pollution is a significant factor in lung cancer.

However, many types of cancer can be cured if detected early and treated effectively.

TRAN PHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/them-vu-khi-chong-ung-thu-20250908214253298.htm