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Nobel Prize winning scientist Aziz Sancar has thanked the public for strong interest in his team’s latest brain tumor research, while stressing that the experimental treatment has only produced results in animal studies so far and requires years of further testing before any potential human use.
In a statement shared on X, Sancar said recent scientific progress in the study brought hope from the perspective of basic science.
He added that many public messages praised the findings, yet current success remains limited to experiments conducted on mice. He said extensive clinical research must take place before researchers can confirm a safe and effective treatment for humans. He estimated that process will require at least two more years.
The announcement follows a wave of public attention after media reported results from Sancar’s laboratory at the University of North Carolina. The research focuses on an aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma. Standard treatment options remain limited and average survival after diagnosis is around one year.
Sancar and his team tested a combination of the chemotherapy drug temozolomid known as TMZ with a molecule called EdU. Researchers observed that using TMZ and EdU together strengthened tumor suppression and extended survival in glioblastoma models compared to single drug treatments.
The experiments involved three laboratory produced human glioblastoma cell groups, mice implanted with brain tumors, and tumor tissues collected directly from patients. Scientists found that EdU integrates into DNA and cells interpret it as damage.
This triggers a repair response that pushes tumor cells into a destructive cycle. The team reported that EdU accumulated mainly in tumor cells during animal testing. They also observed mild and temporary tissue effects with no serious liver or kidney damage in mice.
The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, providing strong preclinical evidence that EdU could complement TMZ in future treatment strategies.
Despite these promising laboratory results, Sancar emphasized that the treatment remains experimental. He said translation into human therapy requires clinical trials to evaluate safety and effectiveness.
Aziz Sancar’s brain cancer research has drawn sustained attention in recent years. Sancar’s earlier public statements described EdU as a molecule that can cross the blood brain barrier, a key obstacle that prevents many cancer drugs from reaching brain tumors.
He said EdU targets rapidly dividing tumor cells while leaving non dividing healthy brain cells largely unaffected. His team reported that EdU outperformed traditional cancer drugs in long term animal experiments and produced stronger results when combined with existing treatments.
Despite these findings, Sancar’s latest statement makes clear that the research has not yet entered human testing. He said safety and effectiveness in humans must be evaluated through clinical studies and that at least two more years of work remain before any potential treatment can reach patients.
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