Reports about the likely development of a vaccine for cancer have raised hope in the fight against a dreadful affliction that has remained a threat to mankind for centuries. Scientists in Russia have announced that a vaccine they have developed has shown 100% efficacy in clinical trials. 
There have been reports on three vaccines, including one using the mRNA (messenger RNA) technology, which involves prompting the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells by producing tumour-specific antigens. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna had used the technology to develop Covid-19 vaccines.
The early-stage clinical trials of the vaccine which is in the news involved 48 patients who were diagnosed 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 have been reported in the trials. Work on versions of the vaccine that target other types of cancer is progressing. Those in the pre-clinical trial stage are also reported to have shown positive results.
These are, still, early days – the vaccine has to undergo clinical trials on a large scale. Vaccines take years, sometimes decades, to develop and to be declared fully effective and market-ready. For a comprehensive assessment of the vaccine’s efficacy, trials will have to be conducted on genetically diverse cohorts of people in different geographies. Side-effects may appear after years – this means the stamp of efficiency may be further deferred.
Source:https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/editorial/cancer-vaccine-from-russia-with-hope-3735099
