Kazan University to provide gene technology medications for snow leopards

A project was started in cooperation with Kazan Zoo.

Head of Gene and Cell Technologies Lab Albert Rizvanov comments, "We have been working on gene medication for people and animals for a long time. The main objective is to understand how to create gene drugs with specific genes for a particular species and to implement them for treatment. Tatarstan was chosen as the place for a new snow leopard nursery, so Kazan University and Kazan Zoo agreed to study the animal's genome and to present new veterinary medicine methods for these endangered felines. We hope that this new medication will help other species as well, such as domestic cats or Siberian tigers."

"Medication research helps not only our animal friends but also assists in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of organisms. In the future, this will boost effective and safe treatment methods for humans as well."

The technological and scientific foundation has been laid, the question now is investment, adds Professor Rizvanov. A prototype of the medication can be produced within a year, "Veterinary medications have to be certified in the same way as human medications. Companies will not invest hundreds of millions of dollars in feline drugs – there is no market for them. Kazan University is a research organization, and we can treat rare animals during our clinical trials and tests – for that, you don't need a registered product. We only have to obtain approvals from the in-house ethical committee and work together with certified veterinarians."

Provided by Kazan Federal University