A Sydney tech entrepreneur has used artificial intelligence and genomics to develop a personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for his rescue dog, Rosie, offering hope for both veterinary and human cancer treatments.
When Rosie was diagnosed with advanced mast cell cancer, Paul Conyngham applied his data science expertise and ChatGPT to analyse her tumour DNA and identify potential therapeutic targets. The genomic sequencing and mutation analysis were performed at the UNSW Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics, a facility enabled by NCRIS through Bioplatforms Australia, which provided the critical data that made the personalised vaccine possible. The mRNA vaccine itself was then manufactured at the UNSW RNA Institute, supported by NCRIS through Therapeutic Innovation Australia, and administered under ethical approval at the University of Queensland.
The approach combined cutting-edge genomics, AI-driven analysis, and immunotherapy. “It raises the question, if we can do this for a dog, why aren’t we rolling this out to all humans with cancer? It gives hope to a lot of people, and it’s something we’re passionate about trying to chase up here,” said Martin Smith, director of the Ramaciotti Centre.
Rosie’s tumours have already shown significant reduction, demonstrating the potential of combining citizen science, AI, and genomics to accelerate personalised medicine.
This story is adapted from an article in The Australian by Natasha Bita: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/tech-boss-uses-ai-and-chatgpt-to-create-cancer-vaccine-for-his-dying-dog/news-story/292a21bcbe93efa17810bfcfcdfadbf7