Namrata Singh Gujral

1/2 No, the viral X post is not exactly true when it says “Cancer is cured by AI.” But the real story behind it is true, amazing, and worth knowing in full detail. Here’s the complete explanation in plain, everyday language that anyone can follow—no medical degree or tech background needed. I’ll walk you through everything step by step, from the very beginning to right now in April 2026, without leaving out any important facts. Who is this about? Sytse “Sid” Sijbrandij is one of the co-founders of GitLab, a big company that helps teams build software together. He is a successful tech leader and a very determined person. In November 2022, at age 45, doctors told him he had osteosarcoma—a rare and aggressive type of bone cancer—in the T5 vertebra (a bone in the middle of his upper spine).1 What happened first (standard medical care) •Doctors removed the main tumor with surgery on December 16, 2022 (they call this T0). •He also had strong chemotherapy and radiation. •For about two years everything looked good—no cancer showed up on scans. But cancer came back. •June 6, 2024 (T1): It returned at the Th4 vertebra. Biopsy at UCLA hospital. •January 28, 2025 (T2): It grew again at Th4–Th5. Another biopsy. •April 17, 2025 (T3): Doctors removed the remaining tumor pieces at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. By late 2024/early 2025, standard treatments had run out. Regular doctors and clinical trials had nothing left to offer him. That’s when Sid decided to take full control—like a startup founder fixing a broken product. He called it “Founder Mode” on his cancer.5 What Sid did differently: “Founder Mode” He refused to give up. Instead he treated his cancer like a giant engineering problem and attacked it from every angle at once. Here’s exactly what he did: 1He collected every possible piece of information about his own body ◦He gathered 25 terabytes of his medical data. (That’s enough data to fill thousands of high-definition movies.) ◦It includes: full DNA sequencing of his tumor and blood, RNA sequencing, single-cell analysis, PET/CT scans over time, spatial images of the tumor tissue, and more. ◦He put all of it online for free at osteosarc.com so scientists anywhere can study it and help future patients. You can explore the timeline, scans, gene data, and even an interactive browser right there.1 2He built a big expert team ◦Geneticists, oncologists (cancer doctors), researchers from top places like the Parker Institute and Baylor, and concierge medical helpers. ◦They ran every advanced test possible (“maximal diagnostics”) as often as possible. 3He used AI (including ChatGPT) as a super-fast research partner ◦AI helped him read hundreds of dense medical papers in minutes instead of weeks. ◦It helped compare his scans and blood tests over time. ◦It suggested possible drug combinations and helped write smart questions to ask his doctors. ◦Sid calls AI a “research partner” or “force multiplier.” It sped everything up dramatically, but it did not invent a cure by itself. It was one helpful tool among many.10 4The treatments that actually beat the cancer ◦Personalized vaccines (the biggest new thing):
Scientists made custom vaccines just for Sid. They looked at his tumor’s unique DNA mutations and picked out the parts (called “neoantigens”) that his immune system could recognize as enemy cells. ▪One was an mRNA vaccine (similar technology to some COVID vaccines) that coded for 19 of those neoantigen pieces. ▪He also got several peptide vaccines (shorter protein pieces). ▪AI helped choose the best targets, but real biotech companies (like CeGaT in Germany and others) manufactured them under strict rules.