Watching his dog slowly die, techie refused to give up. Then he used AI and created a custom 'cancer vaccine' for his pet friend

A tech professional in Australia went far beyond what most pet owners could imagine when his dog was diagnosed with cancer. Instead of accepting the situation, he decided to explore an unusual route. With the help of artificial intelligence tools and scientific research, he eventually developed a personalised cancer vaccine that appears to have helped his pet dog live longer and regain energy.

A difficult diagnosis for a beloved pet

The story revolves around Paul Conyngham, an Australian technology expert with nearly 17 years of experience in machine learning and data analysis. Back in 2019, he adopted a Staffy-Shar Pei cross named Rosie from an animal shelter. Over time, the dog became an important companion in his life.

Speaking about their bond, Conyngham shared during an appearance on the Today program, “Rosie is my best mate and uh, she's been with me through really tough times, through a breakup, through hard business deals, walks in the forest and, when she was handed this sentence, uh, I felt I had to do my part for her as well.”


Several years after adopting Rosie, things took a serious turn. The dog was diagnosed with mast cell cancer and developed large tumours on one of her back legs. Doctors initially tried conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, but the tumour did not respond well. Reports say thousands of dollars were spent on treatment, yet the condition continued to worsen.

At that point, Conyngham decided he had to try something different.

Turning to AI for answers

Using his background in technology, Conyngham began exploring how artificial intelligence could help understand Rosie’s illness. He relied on tools such as ChatGPT and AlphaFold developed by Google DeepMind. Explaining how the idea started, he told The Australian, “I went to ChatGPT and came up with a plan on how to do this.”

The first step involved sequencing Rosie’s DNA. Conyngham contacted the University of New South Wales Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics, which conducted genomic sequencing for about $3,000 (roughly Rs 2 lakh). Once the data was ready, he began comparing Rosie’s healthy DNA with the DNA found in the tumour.

Describing the comparison process, he said, “It’s like having the original engine of your car and then a version of the engine 300,000km down the road – you can compare them and see where there’s damage.”

The analysis helped identify genetic mutations that were driving the cancer.

Building a personalised mRNA vaccine

Conyngham used AlphaFold to study proteins linked to Rosie’s cancer, which helped him identify how the tumour could be targeted. Working with researchers at the University of New South Wales, he helped create a customised mRNA vaccine aimed at the specific mutations. He explained that they converted the tumour into DNA data and used it to develop a treatment, with guidance from ChatGPT throughout the process.

Professor Páll Thordarson of UNSW said this represents a breakthrough in personalised medicine, noting it’s the first personalised cancer vaccine designed for a dog. He added that Rosie’s case shows mRNA-based personalised therapies can be effective and applied quickly, with potential lessons for human treatments.

Ethical approvals and early results

Developing Rosie’s treatment required Conyngham to secure ethics approval, a process that took three months and involved writing a 100-page document. Rosie received her first injection in December, followed by booster doses, and her tumour has since shrunk significantly. Conyngham also noticed a boost in her energy, recalling that six weeks after treatment, she suddenly jumped a fence to chase a rabbit despite being lethargic before.

Despite the positive signs, he remains cautious. “I’m under no illusion that this is a cure, but I do believe this treatment has bought Rosie significantly more time and quality of life.”

He is now working on developing another vaccine to target a remaining tumour. Looking ahead, Conyngham believes this approach may one day change how some cancers are treated.

“There’s actually a chance that for some cancers, we can change it from being a terminal sentence to a manageable disease.”