Saudi Breakthrough Opens Doors for Malaria Medicine
Saudi Breakthrough Opens Doors for Malaria Medicine
A research team from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, in collaboration with researchers from KAUST University, has identified a gene responsible for the proliferation of malaria parasites within red blood cells. This discovery will open doors for developing more effective Malaria Medicine, reported Al Arabiya.
Malaria Parasite Breach
The researchers have proven that malaria parasites are unable to reproduce within red blood cells as usual when the activity of the gene responsible for the proliferation of malaria parasites is halted.
They explained that disabling the gene’s function restricts the malaria parasites’ penetration into other blood cells.
Thus, this leads to alleviating the symptoms of the disease and reducing the spread of the infection.
This discovery opens the door to the development of more effective malaria medicine for treating falciparum malaria. This disease causes the death of more than half a million people annually.
Life-Threatening Disease
It is noted that malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted to humans through certain types of mosquitoes.
Malaria is primarily prevalent in tropical region countries and is preventable and curable.
The symptoms of the disease can range from mild to life-threatening.
Mild symptoms include fever, chills, and headaches. On the other hand, severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.
Saudi Cure for sickle cell anemia
Dr. Ali Hussein Al Hasan has developed a new cure for hereditary sickle cell anemia using generative artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, reported Al Arabiya.
Al Hasan is an academic researcher at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at Al Faisal University in Riyadh.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha praised this Saudi achievement. This achievement embodies the momentum currently occurring in the healthcare sector.
Dr. Al Hasan conducted a trial on more than 15 patients at the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh. The experiment achieved an 85% response rate, indicating the new treatment’s effectiveness for this hereditary disease.
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