Nazarbayev University Ph.D. candidate Sanazar Kadyr is researching a new approach to treating intestinal and colon cancer. The young scientist spoke about his work in an interview with Jibek Joly TV channel, Kazinform reported.
Chemotherapy drugs can affect healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Researchers are therefore looking for ways to deliver drugs directly to tumors without affecting healthy tissue.
How the new method works
Kadyr’s system involves incorporating the drug into a special formulation containing nanoparticles. The formulation remains liquid at ambient temperature but turns into a gel at body temperature. It is expected to remain in the intestine for some time, allowing the drug to act on the tumor.
The research is currently at the laboratory stage. Scientists are testing the system on cancer cells derived from the intestine and colon.
«At the next stage, we plan to test the system on animals, specifically mice. In the future, depending on the research results, the system is expected to proceed to the clinical stage,» Kadyr told journalists.
The development is still experimental and cannot yet be considered an established treatment or an alternative to chemotherapy. Its safety and effectiveness remain to be demonstrated.
Kadyr plans to develop treatments for ovarian cancer and other malignant tumors of the digestive system in the future.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan continues to test a domestically developed cancer drug that is expected to be registered in 2027.