SHARJAH // Chemical compounds that could combat the cells responsible for Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer have been discovered in a groundbreaking research project by local academic institutions.
Two separate three-year studies conducted by the University of Sharjah, the Sharjah Medical Research Institute and the Sharjah Academy for Scientific Research have found 15 compounds that have the potential to fight cells that cause Alzheimer's and three compounds that could combat cells responsible for the progression of breast cancer.
The results have been picked up by international medical journals, including the American Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and the university has been approached by pharmaceutical companies and medical organisations, including the Inserm institute in Paris.
Professor Samy Mahmoud, chancellor of the University of Sharjah, described the initial findings as a "significant step forward" in medical research, and said the goal will be "transferring technology into industry".
"But by no means is it the final step," he said. "We indeed have a long way to go. The next stage is to synthesize the medical material from these compounds and apply it to clinical experiments on animals and human beings, and in that respect we have made strong affiliations and legal agreements with a number of world class organisations."
Dr Taleb Al Tel, the associate professor of organic medicinal chemistry at the university, said it could take between seven and 12 years to develop a drug and make it available for human consumption.
The research methodology, which was similar across both studies, involves identifying the enzymes that cause both diseases, then using a sophisticated computer program to test the potential success of chemical compounds.
Based on theoretical results from the computer simulation, the compounds are then synthesized and tested in the laboratory against cells that have a high concentration of these enzymes.
However, as the compounds progress from laboratory to clinical trials, there are a number of obstacles that researchers must be prepared for, particularly when it comes to a disease like Alzheimer's, which is yet to have a cure.
"Although the disease was discovered in 1906, its pathology was only understood in the '90s," Dr Al Tel said. "And since then, most of the drug discovery companies and institutions around the world are facing this challenge."
Insufficient data on the prevalence of Alzheimer's as well as misdiagnosis are some of the challenges faced in the UAE, said Prof Hossam Hamdy, vice chancellor of medical and health sciences colleges at the university.
"Part of the confusion is between Alzheimer's and senile dementia, which can naturally occurs in old age," he said. "However, Alzheimer's has its specific psychological and physiological tests and kicks in at an earlier age."
Experts estimate that the rate in the UAE is similar to other countries. Figures from the Alzheimer's Association in the United States show that one in eight people aged 65 and older, and nearly half of people over 85, have the disease.
"There's no reason to believe there's vast variations between one country or another," Prof Hamdy said. "It's just that the statistics in some countries are more accurate and have been gathered correctly … but like everything else, the UAE is making tremendous steps to identify, diagnose and classify different prevalent disease."
Parallel to the Alzheimer's study was research conducted on breast cancer cells. About 110 chemical compounds were tested against melanoma and breast cancer cells, of which three were found to have significant potential in combating the cells responsible for breast cancer.
Referring to a 2008 study by Tawam Hospital, UAE University and the Department of Preventative Medicine in Al Ain, Raafat El Awady, associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Sharjah, said there is now strong evidence that cancer is the leading cause of death in the UAE.
"Previously, it was thought to come third after cardiovascular disease and traffic accidents," he said. "This confusion was mainly because when the patient's heart would stop, physicians would write on the death certificate that the cause of death was cardiac arrest, when in fact it was not."
Both projects are now at the pre-clinical phase, and Inserm will provide the university with up to 3,000 cancer cell lines for testing.
The process of drug discovery, starting with forming compounds in the organic chemistry labs and ending with clinical trials on patients, usually costs between US$800 million (Dh2.9 billion) and $1.5bn.
However, the academics' efforts are not thwarted by cost because of support from the Sharjah government, which founded, funded and provided the infrastructure for the three institutions.
mismail@thenational.ae
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
more from Janine di Giovanni
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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