Colon-targeted nanocarrier · Founded 2025

Chemotherapy that waits until it reaches the colon.

ColonNano is developing natural mastic gum nanoparticles that hold the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil through the stomach and small intestine and release it in colonic conditions. It is aimed at oral colon-targeted therapy for colorectal cancer.

See the solutionView the results
240 nmnanoparticle size
83.53%drug encapsulation efficiency
95.20%cumulative 5-FU release
Formulation profile At a glance
PolymerNatural mastic gum, cross-linked
STMP
Drug5-fluorouracil, colorectal anticancer
5-FU
Release modelSteady, controlled release
zero-order
Why it matters: A carrier that stays closed in the upper gut could put more drug at the colon and less elsewhere.
The problem

Oral 5-FU is released too early.

5-fluorouracil is a mainstay drug for colon cancer, but conventional oral forms do not wait for the colon.

Lost in the upper gut

Drug released in the stomach and small intestine does not reach the colon where it is needed.

Exposure where it is not wanted

Early release spreads the drug beyond the target site instead of concentrating it at the tumour region.

Hard to control

Carriers need to resist acidic stomach conditions and then release steadily once they arrive.

Our solution

A natural gum nanocarrier built for the colon.

Mastic gum is cross-linked into spherical nanoparticles that encapsulate 5-FU and release it in a controlled, colon-targeted manner in laboratory tests.

Carrier

Cross-linked mastic gum

240 nmparticle size reported for the nanoparticles
  • Natural gum polymer
  • Cross-linking confirmed by FTIR
  • Spherical, uniform particles by SEM
Payload

High drug loading

83.53%encapsulation efficiency of the best formulation
  • Nine formulations screened
  • Encapsulation ranged from 48.78% to 83.53%
  • Optimised formulation carried forward
Release

Colon-triggered output

95.20%cumulative release in colonic medium at 8 h
  • About 27.37% released at pH 1.2 and 4.5
  • 43.81% released at 6 h in colonic medium
  • Zero-order release kinetics
How it works

How it works

From natural gum to colon-targeted nanoparticle.

  1. 1

    Emulsion cross-linking

    Mastic gum is cross-linked with sodium trimethyl phosphate in a water-in-oil emulsion.

    mastic gumSTMP
  2. 2

    Drug loading

    5-fluorouracil is encapsulated inside the cross-linked nanoparticles.

    5-FU83.53% EE
  3. 3

    Passing the upper gut

    In simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, only a small share of the drug is released.

    pH 1.2pH 4.5pH 7.4
  4. 4

    Release in the colon

    In a colonic enzyme medium the particles release the drug steadily over hours.

    zero-order8 h
Results

Laboratory results

Formulation, characterisation and in vitro release testing in simulated gut conditions. The paper also reports an exploratory rat absorption study; no human data yet.

240 nmparticle size
83.53%encapsulation efficiency
95.20%cumulative release
-26.8 mVzeta potential of the optimised formulation
Zero-orderrelease kinetics
Stepwise release of the optimised formulation
MediumReported release
Simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, pH 1.2 and 4.5About 27.37%
Colonic enzyme medium, 6 h43.81%
Colonic enzyme medium, 8 h95.20%

Source: Hani et al., Scientific Reports 15, 18355 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-03533-3

Who it's for

Who it is for

Partners who can take a colon-targeted carrier further.

Oncology drug developers

  • Oral route for an established drug
  • Colon-targeted release profile
  • Natural polymer platform

Formulation scientists

  • Emulsion cross-linking method
  • Nine-formulation design space
  • Characterised by FTIR and SEM

Research collaborators

  • Cell and animal efficacy studies
  • Scale-up of the gum carrier
  • Other colon-targeted payloads
Where we are

What we do not claim

Honest limits at this stage.

Laboratory evidence

Release was measured in simulated fluids and a colonic enzyme medium. Results in the body may differ.

No efficacy data yet

The work does not report anticancer effect in cells or tumour models. That is the next step.

Not in patients

ColonNano has not been tested in humans and is not an approved medicine.

The team

The team

Founded in 2025 by the research team behind the cross-linked mastic gum nanoparticle study.

UH

Umme Hani

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

NM

Nawaz Mahammed

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

TR

T. Reshma

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

ST

Sirajunisa Talath

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

AW

Adil Farooq Wali

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

AA

Abdullah Aljasser

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

AF

Adel Al Fatease

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

AA

Ali H. Alamri

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

SK

Sharuk Khan

Co-author of the ColonNano research.

Frequently asked questions

What is mastic gum?

A natural resin gum. Here it is cross-linked to form nanoparticles that carry the drug.

Why 5-fluorouracil?

5-FU is a widely used drug for colon cancer. Delivering it to the colon could focus its action where it is needed.

How do you know it targets the colon?

In laboratory tests only about 27.37% of drug was released at pH 1.2 and 4.5, while 95.20% was released in colonic medium by 8 h.

Has it been tested in people?

No. The evidence is from formulation and in vitro release studies, with an exploratory animal study.

What comes next?

Efficacy testing in colon cancer models and further safety work before any clinical plans.

The research

Peer-reviewed science behind ColonNano.

Read the full study behind the product.

Read the paper

Hani, U., Mahammed, N., Reshma, T., Talath, S., Wali, A. F., Aljasser, A., Al Fatease, A., Alamri, A. H., & Khan, S. (2025). Enhanced colon-targeted drug delivery through development of 5-fluorouracil-loaded cross-linked mastic gum nanoparticles. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 18355. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03533-3

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03533-3