With an increasing global population and greater life expectancy, the diagnosis of neurological disorders, like Parkinson’s disease is on the rise.

Al Jalila Foundation awarded a research grant to renowned scientist Dr M Emdadul Haque from UAE University to study ‘Parkin in cancer and neurodegeneration: critical role of parkin as E3 ubiquitin ligase and redox molecule’.

Parkin/PINK1 insufficiency may cause accumulation of damaged mitochondria. However, there is no mitochondrial accumulation in patients’ brains and mouse models. The question is simple: is it true that they are removing abnormal mitochondria? “Autophagy” is one of the essentials in life phenomena, especially for cell survival. Insufficient mitophagy produces oxidative stress and energy crisis in cells and finally leads to cell death or cancer. Thus, it is important to question whether Parkin and PINK1 have a central role in conducting mitophagy. In the clinical aspect, they are involved in several major serious diseases that many people are suffering from.

By understanding what is truly happening on the surface of mitochondria around Parkin (and PINK1), the findings will unveil a series of flow which causes dopaminergic cell death and tumorigenesis in cells. The results have the potential to change the notion of “mitophagy process” and provide the cause-directed therapeutic strategy for several major diseases.

Al Jalila Foundation funds promising research to give hope to people and advance cures. To learn more about our funded research please click here.

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with about 1 in 6 deaths due to cancer. Each year, approximately 300,000 children alone are diagnosed with cancer. However, there is hope, as with access to quality treatment, more than 80% of children with cancer can survive, living full and healthy lives. It is this that drives Al Jalila Foundation to invest in groundbreaking cancer research.

Novel targeted therapeutic agents are desperately needed and our highly respected research grant recipient, Professor Thomas E Adrian from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is doing just that by conducting a cancer research study to discover ‘novel drug combinations to treat cancer’.

The study is looking at frondoside A which is a glycoside that blocks growth and inhibits the invasion of cancers into other tissues, which is what makes cancers deadly. Recent work has shown that cancers arise in cancer stem cells and that eradication of these stem cells is essential to cure the cancer. Findings have revealed that when treating leukemias or pancreatic cancers with frondoside A, it stimulates a stem-cell pathway (NF-kB pathway) that these stem cells use for survival.

When combining an inhibitor of the NF-kB pathway drug (andrographolide) together with frondoside A the effects were found to be dramatically better than either drug alone at killing all the cells including the cancer stem cells.

To learn more about this and other Al Jalila Foundation research please click here.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a growing health concern around the world and is estimated that it impacts 1 in every 58 children globally. Research indicates that the disease manifests very early in development which requires early diagnosis and intervention.

Dr Mohammed Uddin from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, an expert in the etiology of autism and neurodevelopmental disorder genetics, is leading a study to develop ‘An in vitro system to characterise recurrent pathogenic deletions in autism spectrum disorder’.

Each child impacted by autism carries a different genetic signature; therefore, a targeted personalised molecular approach is necessary. This research is immensely important to implement a translational core for autism genome and to guide personalised therapeutics. Dr Uddin hopes this study will be a step forward for genome sequencing projects and will enable the translation of clinical relevance of the mutated genes.

The team now have a comprehensive list of genes that are associated with ASD and have successfully completed gene editing experiments. Due to the relevant and important nature of the work, Al Jalila Foundation has funded this research to continue the process of conducting multiple characterisation experiments on the knockout CRISPR/Cas9 cell lines that can then be used by other scientists in the country.

To learn more about this and other Al Jalila Foundation research please click here.

Despite the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the UAE, approximately 1 in 5 of the population suffers from the disease, epidemiological data about diabetes incidence and subgroups in the UAE in general, and particularly the Northern Emirates (Sharjah/Ajman), is very limited.

Al Jalila Foundation research grant recipient Professor Nabil Sulaiman from University of Sharjah is leading a pioneering local research study ‘All new diabetics in Sharjah & Ajman [ANDISA]: An epidemiological and genetic study toward individualized medicine (phase II)’ to find answers.

Clinical data such as the response of diabetes subgroups to different modes of treatment and the prevalence of diabetes complications in these subgroups have not been investigated yet.

This study aims to enroll new diabetic patients aged 13 to 65 years in Sharjah and Ajman to collect basic, clinical, genetic and immunological data from a newly diagnosed population of diabetics to improve diagnostic categorisation rates and develop personalised treatment.

This groundbreaking study represents the first step towards precision medicine in diabetes in the UAE. Through the findings it will provide better diagnosis and better personalised care for diabetic patients at a lower cost.

It is through investing in studies like this, Al Jalila Foundation aims to create a brighter future for diabetic patients.

To read more about this and other research click here.

According to the World Health Organization depression, a mental disorder accompanied by low self-esteem, loss of interest and low energy, continues to be on the rise globally.

Unfortunately, current treatment methods are only effective on 50% of patients and even for those who do respond well it can take weeks or months to see any improvement.

With new therapeutic avenues needed, Al Jalila Foundation research grant recipient Dr Dipesh Chaudhury from New York University Abu Dhabi conducted a study ‘Sleep less smile more: understanding the cellular mechanism of sleep deprivation-induced rapid reversal of depression’ to tackle depressive disorders.

Sleep deprivation has been effective in rapidly alleviating depressive symptoms in around 70% of patients who are resistant to medication. However, it is not a viable long-term strategy. This study investigates how sleep deprivation alleviates depression symptoms in rodents using the chronic social defeat stress paradigm; special focus was given to the neurophysiological changes in neural circuitry involved in the circadian system and sleep-wake centres of the brain.

Scientists have researched how you sleep but the data on why we need it is still not clear. Studies like this bring us closer to finding the answers to many mental health issues. To learn more about this study please click here.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death and disability in the world today. According to the World Heart Federation 17.5 million people globally die every year from cardiovascular disease and studies have identified it is a one of the primary reasons of death in the UAE, with 30% of fatalities attributed to the disease.

Professor Abderrahim Nemmar from United Arab Emirates University lead an experimental investigation on water-pipe smoke (Shisha) induced cardiovascular pathophysiologic effects and the influence of smoke exposure, flavourings and possible protective effect of Gum Arabic.

It is estimated that more than 100 million people world-wide use water-pipe smoking and is a major form of smoking in the Middle East. Despite its widespread use, only a few studies to date have documented the harmful cardiovascular consequences of water-pipe smoking. With such high consumption rates, experimental studies investigating the mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular effects of water-pipe smoke are much needed.

The team has demonstrated that exposure to water-pipe smoke increased blood pressure and thrombosis, and induced cardiac oxidative stress, DNA damage and fibrosis. The effects of occasional versus regular smoke and flavoring have not been studied before and this study assessed the possible palliative effects of a commonly used natural antioxidant agent, viz Gum Arabic on the cardiovascular effects of water-pipe smoke.

Data shows that 1 in 5 people in the UAE has diabetes making it one of the most pressing healthcare challenges today. Fasting as part of religious practice is keenly observed in the region and many people with diabetes fast throughout Ramadan with no negative impact on their health while some are considered high risk.

Al Jalila Foundation grant recipients, Dr Fatheya Alawadi and Dr Mohammed Hassanein from Dubai Hospital, lead a novel study to get a better understanding on the exact level of risk by recruiting a cohort of 180 diabetic patients to monitor glucose levels continuously over a six-week period.

The study provided unique data as patients with high risk diabetes who fasted did not show significant biometric changes and no significant change in lipids profile nor in renal function. While glycemic control improved, nonsevere hypoglycemic episodes increased during fasting.

Optimum diabetes care, including Ramadan focused diabetes education, glucose monitoring and dose adjustments could be the key for reducing the complications of fasting in high risk diabetes patients.

The team’s detailed data analysis has already been published in 5 medical research journals and they continue to investigate the field to conclude medical recommendations.

Learn more about Dr Fatheya and Dr Mohammed’s study here.

UAE breast cancer statistics emphasise the need for local research as it is the most common cancer affecting women with incidences steadily increasing and constituting 38% of all female cancers in the country.

Al Jalila Foundation research grant recipient, Dr Ghaleb Husseini from American University of Sharjah, lead a ground-breaking study focused on improving treatment methods for breast cancer patients which is currently filed for a US patent.

Chemotherapy practice requires the use of high drug doses to increase the effectiveness on tumours, which also results in detrimental side effects on healthy cells. These side effects significantly decrease the patient’s quality of the life and may result in life-threatening conditions. Dr Ghaleb’s study developed an ultrasound triggered, targeted drug delivery system for breast cancer treatment. The research investigated the ability of the system to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells and to decrease their side effects on healthy cells.

Recognised as an authority in his field, Dr Ghaleb already has one published US patent in addition to this one under review. He is also a finalist in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal of Scientific Distinction and among the first to receive a 10-year UAE residency visa for scientific accomplishments.

Click here to learn about Dr Ghaleb’s research study.

During these uncertain times, mental health support has never been more vital and Al Jalila Foundation is proud to be at the forefront of pioneering research in the UAE by supporting scientists addressing the issue.

Al Jalila Foundation research grant recipient, Professor Leontios Hadjileontiadis from Khalifa University, used cutting-edge technology to develop a first-of-its-kind mobile app to help diagnose and detect depression in users.

The innovative app called ‘Type of Mood’, available on Android and iOS, detects depressive disorders by recording four parameters related to keystroke dynamics while the user interacts with the phone’s keyboard. The data calculated is sensitive to the pressure applied on the keys and the time taken to switch between keys while typing. The app also connects to healthcare professionals and encourages those found at risk to consult with doctors for medication, if necessary.

The app is linked to the American Neurology Centre and has been operational for more than two years. Since launching, it has helped detect and record several cases of depression signaling support from professionals.

In 2019, Professor Leontios Hadjileontiadis was recognised for his ground-breaking work with the Applied Sciences Research Award as part of Dubai Healthcare City Authority’s Excellence Awards.

Dr Habiba Alsafar, a two-time Al Jalila Foundation research grant recipient, was a curious youngster who dreamed of becoming a scientist. Encouraged by her parents, she pursued her scientific aspirations gaining her PhD in Forensics and Medical Sciences and fulfilled her dream to ‘build the UAE’s capability in genetic research’.

Today, Dr Habiba is a faculty member at Khalifa University with research interests aimed at constructing Arab race genomic structures and identifying segments that carry genes predisposed to disease.

“My research is about discovering personalised preventive medicine for early detection. I am very grateful to Al Jalila Foundation for giving me the opportunity to pursue my passion and make my country proud.”

Dr Habiba was appointed to the Emirates Scientists Council in 2016 and has received numerous accolades for scientific contributions including the UAE First Pioneer Medal for Genomics Research in 2014 and the L’Oreal-Unesco For Women in Science Award in 2016.

An inspiring role model for young women, Dr Habiba is passionate about women entering the scientific field and takes pride that the majority of her students are female which is testament to the UAE’s leadership which empowers women.

Read Dr Habiba’s Story of Hope here.