Category Archives: Stories of Hope

Stories

Research Matters, Stories of Hope

Improving treatment for liver cancer

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and incidence is increasing dramatically in the Gulf region.

As treatment options are limited Al Jalila Foundation awarded a research grant to Dr Kirsten Sadler Edepli from New York University Abu Dhabi who is looking at targeting the epigenetic changes and genomic instability that occurs in hepatocellular carcinoma as a promising avenue for developing new therapies.

The research aims to provide an understanding of how epigenetic changes lead to cancer. The team focus on the epigenetic regulator and oncogene, UHRF1, which is overexpressed in all human solid tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma.

Using zebrafish to decipher how UHRF1 causes cancer by overexpressing UHRF1 in hepatocytes, this model enables investigation into how precancerous cells develop, and how they are converted to malignant, tumor forming cells.

The study found that UHRF1 overexpression activates senescence as a tumor suppressive mechanism and stops hepatocyte proliferation, accompanied by the activation of DNA damage repair mechanisms.  DNA damage response is required for senescence induction and a pro-inflammatory immune signature and the recruitment of immune cells to the pre-cancerous liver tissue may halt tumor growth by eliminating cells damaged by high levels of UHRF1. Unfortunately, senescence can be bypassed so that precancerous cells can develop into cancer. Cells which are damaged by UHRF1 overexpression become malignant and form tumors. The investigation in the mechanism of senescence bypass continues, which is an important area to target to prevent pre-cancerous lesions from developing into tumors.

To learn more about this study please click here.

Stories of Hope

Emirati student on the path to genomic expertise

In August 2020 Abdulrahman Alzarooni received the exclusive international postgraduate scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation to study for a Master of Medical Genetics and Genomics (MSc Med Sci) at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Through the scholarship, coupled with Abdulrahman’s hard work and passion in the field of genetics, he has now graduated from the Master’s program with high merit and recognition.

Abdulrahman had always been interested in tackling genetic diseases, which affects families, individuals and children and this scholarship was the first key step into pursuing this mission. His studies allowed him to learn a great deal more about the molecular basis of human diseases inherited by mutations and chromosome aberrations, as well as understanding the theory of genetics diagnostic techniques, and their clinical applications.

Abdulrahman believes that one’s learning cycle should never end and he plans to pursue a PhD in cancer genomics. Cancer genomics utilises the technology of reading the whole genome of cancer patients to assess and personalise treatment options, study inherited cancer syndromes and have better evaluation of prognosis.

Abdulrahman’s ambitions for the future are inspiring, “Ultimately, my goal is to be an expert in cancer genomics and be a part of developing new strategies to treat and help cancer patients in the UAE.”

Stories of Hope

Dikden is given a second chance

In January 2021 Dikden had been suffering from severe back pain and was losing weight rapidly. After several medical assessments it was confirmed that Dikden had metastatic lung cancer. The news was devastating and as the sole breadwinner for his family who works for a small company in Dubai, he had no idea how he was going to be able to handle this crisis.

Dikden began treatment immediately and his insurance provider was able to deliver the first seven cycles of his chemotherapy. He needed to continue his medical plan with immunotherapy to target the cancer, but the cutting-edge drugs he needed were not available under his insurance plan.

Having learned about the A’awen program that supports patient treatment from one of our charity partners, he applied to get the support he needed to regain his health. Dikden was able to receive the much-needed medicine and is now on his way to recovery.

He is most grateful for the support he received, “I cannot put a value on how important this is to me and my family. I would like to thank you Al Jalila Foundation for the help and the support they offered me to bring me back to health.”

Research Matters, Stories of Hope

Smoking increases the spread of cancer

Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer and tobacco smokers are at 20 to 40 times higher risk of developing lung cancer in comparison to non-smokers.

With a research grant from Al Jalila Foundation, Dr Rania Zaarour from Gulf Medical University Ajman, is studying the effects of smoking on remodeling the tumor microenvironment and shaping stemness and immunogenicity in lung cancer.

Tobacco can be smoked using different ways, including waterpipes.  The team performed waterpipe smoke (WPS) analysis that revealed significant concentrations of toxicants including 27 known or suspected carcinogens thought to cause dependence, heart disease, lung disease and cancer.

This shows that exposing lung cancer cell lines to WPS condensate (WPSC) interferes with cell proliferation, cell plasticity, DNA damage and tumor cell recognition and killing by natural killer cells.

The results indicate that WPSC is a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. If a cancer patient continues to smoke, WPSC may serve as fuel to the cancer cells and may contribute to metastases. In fact, continued smoking is considered a strong adverse predictor of survival and increases the risk of a second lung cancer compared to those patients who stopped smoking. Therapy modalities can be more effective by eliminating smoke exposure to cancer patients and by targeting the inflammatory mechanisms to control the emergence of aggressive cancer clones with epithelial mesenchymal transition and stemness features.

Stories of Hope

The Ta’alouf Teachers program continues to flourish

The Ta’alouf Teachers Training Program was launched by Al Jalila Foundation in 2014 to equip teachers and principals with the necessary knowledge and skills to better understand and empower students of determination.

The program, now in its 8th cohort, runs each academic year fully sponsored by Al Jalila Foundation and delivered by education partner Zayed University, one of the leading universities in the region.

Ta’alouf has just welcomed Dr Efthymia Efthymiou as the program lead facilitator and as the Assistant Professor in Special Education at Zayed University Dr Efthymia is well placed to pass on her knowledge to the enthusiastic members of the cohort.

Dr Efthymia has been instructing teachers for several years in different academic environments, and believes that the program’s comprehensive structure, specialised training and supportive mentorship sessions enable the participants to gain invaluable knowledge allowing them to adopt student-oriented teaching practices for students with diverse abilities.

The 8th cohort includes 83 teachers from public and private schools across the UAE who will be prepared to adopt best practices for teaching in inclusive education environments with mindfulness.

Dr Efthymia looks to the future, “It is a rewarding experience joining the Ta’alouf team and building strong bonds with teachers to strengthen their impact in and out of the classroom. The team culture inspires teachers to make a meaningful difference in their schools for all students of determination.”

Stories of Hope

Lise is living cancer-free with a heart full of hope

In January 2020 Lise, a UAE resident of 28 years, was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine annual mammogram.

Having always lived a healthy lifestyle the news came as a shock and Lise felt that the ground had been pulled from under her.

She immediately started chemotherapy but to make matters worse, halfway through her treatments her insurance coverage had run out and she still needed the life-saving therapy and surgery.

Determined to fight the cancer and remain a good mother to her children she turned to Al Jalila Foundation for support and found the help she needed.

Lise is forever grateful for the support she received, “I was a bit nervous about being approved for charity assistance but the team at Al Jalila Foundation were very reassuring and embraced me. It is very comforting to know that there is a whole community of people behind me, supporting me financially and psychologically. I am proud to be living in the UAE and I am grateful that when in need I have been supported by my community.”

Although the surgery and the chemotherapy were very tough on Lise, by July she had the wonderful news that she was clear of the cancer. Today Lise’s advice to other women is “Get your annual mammogram, it can save your life. There is support out there. Just don’t give up.”

Research Matters, Stories of Hope

Exploring treatment options for COVID-19

With the world now reaching over 300 million confirmed cases since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the urgency to find a cure is ever present.

Al Jalila Foundation is dedicated to supporting the global fight against COVID-19 and has invested in several vital research studies. While vaccines tackled some challenges, with continuously-evolving variants it is necessary to develop new antiviral agents that can work in parallel with vaccines to put an end to the global crisis.

Professor Mohammad Ghattas, from Al Ain University is researching new drug candidates as potential treatments for COVID-19 via targeting the main protease enzyme (Mpro) of the virus. Inhibiting such an enzyme by a small drug molecule was proven efficient in stopping the high virulent capability of the virus, introducing Mpro as the most promising drug target in the COVID-19 therapy.

The research group has utilised advanced computational approaches to screen a huge ligand library of more than 3.8 million ligands. This was followed by experimentally testing 57 compounds for their inhibition activity against the viral enzyme; two of which have been able to show promising inhibition activity and drug-like character.

The findings in this project can provide a strong basis for developing clinically useful drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 and potentially provide an extra tool to end the current long-lasting pandemic.

Stories of Hope

Community rallies together to help Marwan

9-year-old Marwan, from Sudan and living in Dubai, had been suffering from high pulmonary pressure and fibrosis in the lungs and needed urgent surgery. Unfortunately, his parents were struggling to fund the life- saving treatment.

The team at I Love Supersport Dubai, a UAE-based endurance training sports school, heard about young Marwan’s difficulties and organised a fundraiser ‘Challenge 50/50/50’ to support him. The aim of the challenge was to celebrate the UAE’s values of giving on the 50th National Day by raising AED 50,000 to fund Marwan’s surgery.

Endorsed by the Dubai Sports Council and coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, 50 sports enthusiasts swam, biked, and ran for 50 consecutive hours, covering a total distance of 2,511km which is equal to the distance from Dubai to Khartoum, Marwan’s hometown.

Thanks to the I Love Supersport Dubai heroes’ incredible efforts and successful challenge, Marwan was able to undergo surgery right away and is now well on the road to recovery.

Marwan’s parents are overwhelmed but the incredible support they have received by the athletic community in Dubai: “We cannot thank Al Jalila Foundation enough for the support and all the kind strangers that became family. We are overwhelmed with emotion to find out how the community rallied together to help our son”.
Research Matters, Stories of Hope

Emirati researcher leads the fight on obesity

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified obesity as one of the top five mortality risks globally and is targeted for priority action as it is responsible for 5% of deaths associated with non-communicable diseases.

In high-income countries more than 50% of adults are overweight and over 20% are obese. The UAE has undergone rapid urbanisation and economic growth in the last 50 years, and it is well recognised that transitioning nations experience increased incidence of obesity associated with urban sprawl, sedentary lifestyles, change in diet and other risk factors.

Due to the rising obesity rates in the UAE, Al Jalila Foundation supported a research study lead by Professor Yousef AlBastaki at Dubai Health Authority to determine the UAE population reference standard charts for weight, height, body mass index, skinfold thickness, and eating habits at ages 0–18 years.

For reliable estimates of obesity in children, valid measures should be used as using body weight alone does not allow for differences in height and stature.

The aim of this study was to determine a range of anthropometric measurements including skinfold thickness measurements in four different areas of the body, to construct population growth charts for body mass index (BMI), skinfolds in UAE national children.

This study enabled the comparison of UAE growth charts with the growth charts from other countries and provided a better picture of the prevalence of obesity healthcare providers can deliver to the policy makers on the trends of BMI and obesity among children in the UAE.

Stories of Hope

Talia has regained her spark

4-year-old Talia’s parents noticed that she was always tired, lacked energy for simple tasks and did not want to play anymore. She had even lost her happy spark and had become withdrawn.

After several doctor visits, it was discovered that she suffered from a perforated atrial septal defect and mitral valve prolapse – also known as a hole in the heart – and needed urgent open-heart surgery.

Talia is one of two daughters and with only one income in the family her parents were unable to afford Talia’s medical expenses.

Talia’s parents were desperate to get her the life-saving treatment she needed to regain her health and joyful spirit so Al Jalila Foundation stepped in to set-up an A’awen Giving crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness and funds for Talia’s treatment. The campaign gained great momentum from the community with donors offering funds and words of encouragement for Talia and to her parents’ delight one generous anonymous donor fulfilled the full remaining amount needed.

Talia’s parents are overjoyed, “We are so thrilled that our daughter will be healthy again. Thanks to all the support we received we will see her sweet smile light up the room once more.” 

Talia’s operation was successful, and she is now in full recovery with a bright future ahead.