11.05.2025 12:40
Professor Dr. Aziz Sancar, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015, stated that his research on a drug that kills brain cancer cells is progressing positively, but that $2 million is needed for human trials, and they have been unable to find this financial support. Sancar also added that Trump made significant cuts to scientific research.
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Turkish scientist Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar, the 2015 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, announced that they have received positive results from tests conducted on mice regarding a drug for brain cancers that they have been working on for three years. Emphasizing that they have not yet started on side effects in humans, Sancar stated that they need 2 million dollars, saying, "We cannot find an institution to support us financially."
COMPLAINING ABOUT LACK OF FUNDS
Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar answered questions from Şehriban Kıraç of the Nefes newspaper. Discussing the work on brain cancers, Sancar complained about the lack of funds.
"WE NEED 2 MILLION DOLLARS"
Aziz Sancar announced that they have received positive results from tests conducted on mice regarding a drug for brain cancers that they have been working on for three years.
Emphasizing that they have not yet started on side effects in humans, Sancar stated that they need 2 million dollars, saying, "We cannot find an institution to support us financially."
"THE COMPONENT WE DISCOVERED KILLS CANCER CELLS"
Discussing the work on brain cancers, Sancar provided the following information:
Brain tumors rank 10th among causes of death. Existing cancer drugs that cannot cross the blood-brain barrier are insufficient in affecting this type of cancer. The component we discovered enters the brain and kills cancer cells. We announced this three years ago, and we published the article three years later. These processes are slow. While EdU can kill rapidly dividing cancerous brain cells, it can protect non-dividing healthy brain cells. EdU works in animal models of brain cancer. We are continuing with that. The continuation looks quite positive for now. But I don't know if the new study will take us three years or not.
Sancar stated that they have difficulty finding institutions to support them financially for these studies, saying, "There are so many studies, publications, and discoveries in this area. There are many who claim to have something. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies do not know which ones to support or whom to believe."
"WE NEED TO TEST ON VOLUNTEERS NOW"
Sancar said, "We need to find someone to support us. We need to test on volunteers now. Because we are getting positive and safe results. There are many people who have been abandoned to death. After these patients are diagnosed, the average life expectancy is 14-16 months. Therefore, the faster we can do something, the better."
Sancar added, "Finding a solution to cancer is difficult. But we are doubling the lifespan in mice. So that is promising. However, it would be wrong to say that we will treat brain cancers."
"TRUMP IS MAKING SERIOUS CUTS TO THE BUDGET, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN"
Relaying that the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told him, "You will spend 2 million dollars and first investigate the side effects in humans. You will document those side effects. Human trials will begin after it is proven that there are no serious side effects," Sancar stated, "Especially U.S. President Donald Trump is making serious cuts to the budget for scientific research. We don't know what will happen. Therefore, there is serious uncertainty."
"COME OUTSIDE, DO SCIENCE, LEARN, BUT RETURN TO TURKEY"
On the other hand, Sancar addressed the youth in Turkey:
There are currently 5 Turks working with me, and they are all very good. My advice to students and scientists in Turkey is to come out, do science, learn how to do science, but return to Turkey. I have three students who returned to Turkey, and all three are professors now.
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