Winning ideas
Antibiotic compounds Dr Taleb Al Tel, team leader for novel antibiotics project at University of Sharjah
“We’ve discovered a group of compounds that are more effective at killing multi-drug resistant bacteria than many of the currently available antibiotics. Not only do they kill the bacteria faster but small quantities of these compounds are 10 to 20 times potent than many other broad-spectrum antibiotics. We now need to partner with investors and get these to clinical trials. If all goes well, the antibiotics, developed in the UAE, should be ready for the market in three years.”
Catheter device Ahmad Al Hammadi, Emirati developer of hydrophilic catheter
“Conventional catheters are difficult to insert, and their use results in many infections because it is difficult to keep the tubing clean. I’ve designed a catheter in which the tubing is encased with polyvinyl chloride, which means that the tube can be kept hygienic. I believe this will ease the lives of patients who must use catheters on a daily basis, including patients with paralysis and spinal cord injuries.”
Eustachian tube device Dr Tarik Ozkul, founder of Strategic Innovative Initiatives, a Turkey-based solutions developer
“More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from Eustachian tube dysfunction, a terribly painful ear condition in which the Eustachian tube that is responsible for equalising pressure in the ear fails to open up. Conventional therapies use invasive means to open the tube but they can increase the risks of infection. We’ve discovered, for the first time, that the condition is caused because two sets of brain signals to open the tube become unsynchronised, and have developed a device to deliver electronic impulses to synchronise them. We’ve finished one set of clinical trials already, and need to complete one more set before the device is market ready.”
Tooth isolation device Dr Wafa Al Beloushi, Emirati medical resident and developer of device for tooth isolation
“Root canals use multiple metal clamps and tools to isolate the tooth that needs to be treated, and dentists must use anaesthetics to numb the gums so that the clamps can be secured. Sometimes, these clamps irritate the gums, and all of this makes root canals painful and time-consuming. I have developed a rubber device that can be secured easily. It will quickly help isolate the tooth that needs to be treated and because it doesn’t have metal grips, it won’t irritate the gums. I’ve already contacted a company to develop the products, and hope to have it ready for the market in a year’s time.”
Cancer therapy Dr Ghaleb Hussaini, primary investigator in the nanomedicine and ultrasound cancer therapy project at American University of Sharjah, and associate dean of graduate affairs and research
“Under conventional chemotherapy, drugs spread throughout the body, acting upon and killing all kinds of fast-growing cells. This means that hair follicle cells, cells in the stomach linings, and white blood cells also get affected in addition to cancer cells. Our multimodal treatment encapsulates the drugs in a lipid capsule with a target that specifically identifies biomarkers on cancer cells. Once the drugs are injected, they look for the biomarkers and gather around the cancer cells. We then apply an ultrasound to open up the lipid capsule and release the drug only at the targeted site. Our project is still in the pre-clinical stage, but should be market-ready in five to seven years.”