ChatGPT and AlphaFold helped design a custom cancer vaccine for a dog

In short: A Sydney tech entrepreneur used ChatGPT and AlphaFold to help create a custom mRNA cancer vaccine for his dog, with mixed but encouraging results.

What happened

Paul Conyngham, a Sydney-based tech entrepreneur, said he used ChatGPT and AlphaFold in 2024 while trying to treat his 13-year-old rescue dog Rosie. Rosie was diagnosed with mast cell tumors, and initial chemotherapy and surgery did not shrink them.

Conyngham has no formal background in biology or medicine. He used ChatGPT to help explore options and plan next steps, including genomic sequencing at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Genomic sequencing is a detailed readout of DNA, like checking a long instruction manual for typos.

He spent about $10,000 AUD, with some lab discounts, on sequencing, analysis, and making a personalized mRNA vaccine at UNSW’s RNA Institute. mRNA vaccines give cells temporary instructions, like a short-lived recipe, to help the immune system spot a target. AlphaFold, a tool that predicts what a protein looks like, was used to model a protein called c-KIT, which can be involved in this cancer.

Rosie began injections in December 2024 at a lab in Gatton. Conyngham said most tumors shrank and Rosie’s energy returned, although some tumors remain. He plans a second vaccine for the remaining tumors.

Why it matters

The story went viral in March 2026, but experts urge caution. It is a single case, and tumor shrinkage could be due to multiple treatments, not just the vaccine. The Verge also notes the approach could be very expensive for others, estimated at $50,000 to $100,000 AUD without discounts, and it is not yet a proven path for routine pet care.

Source: The Verge AI