AI can help generate personalized cancer vaccines in an hour — Russia’s vaccine chief

The use of artificial neural networks could bring down the duration of computing required to create a personalized cancer vaccine, which is currently a lengthy process, to less than an hour, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told TASS.

"Now it takes quite long to build [personalized vaccines] because computing of how a vaccine, or customized mRNA, should look like uses matrix methods, in mathematical terms. We have involved the Ivannikov Institute which will rely on AI in doing this math, namely neural network computing where these procedures should take about half an hour to an hour," Russia’s vaccine chief said.

Earlier, the researcher explained to TASS that an experimental base of sequences of between 40,000 to 50,000 tumors with identification of antigen compatibilities that are converted into protein or RNA in a patient will be needed to train AI. This would help determine whether or not this combination can be used for the individual, he said.

The vaccine was developed in collaboration with several research centers. Preclinical tests have already been completed, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center of the Russian Ministry of Health Andrey Kaprin has said.

It is worth noting that Kyrgyzstan plans to build plant to produce FMD vaccines.