(USA) discovered a novel compound that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells

United Arab Emirates, 16 August 2020: A research team at College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University designed, chemically synthesized, and screened a compound that has the ability to inhibit the growth of several different types of cancer cells by inhibiting one of the enzymes implicated in the abnormal growth of cancer cells. The compound was subjected to several laboratory testing procedures to confirm its effectiveness against different cancer cells types and to study its effects and mechanism of action on cancer cells. The new novel compound showed interesting results and the ability to inhibit the growth and division of various cancer cells such as leukemia, breast cancer and colon cancer cells.

The research project was done in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the USA. The research team presented some of the results of this study at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting that was held between 22 and 25 June 2020 as a virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The GMU research team has two faculty members from the department of pharmaceutical sciences, Dr. Ahmed Thabet Negmeldin, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and Dr. Ahmed Al-Abd, Associate professor of pharmacology. In addition, the research team also involve two senior PharmD students, Fatiha Hammed and Dalia Yousef who are currently in their final year and doing their advanced pharmacy practice experience rotations at College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University.

It is worth noting that the College of Pharmacy at Gulf Medical University is one of the pioneering colleges in pharmacy education . The College of Pharmacy at Gulf Medical University started its PharmD program in 2008 and received the American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) certification for the PharmD program in 2019. The college of pharmacy offers to the PharmD students international exchange opportunities every year in cooperation with universities in the United States of America, where students spend a training period at one of the American universities including Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Saint Joseph Connecticut and Medical College of Wisconsin. In addition, the college of pharmacy provides clinical training opportunities for students at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital and other hospitals.

Gulf Medical University 

Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, has six colleges and offers 26 accredited programs with students of over 86 nationalities. The undergraduate programs offered by GMU include Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Biomedical Sciences, Healthcare Management & Economics, Anesthesia Technology, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Physiotherapy, Medical Imaging Sciences and Associate Degree in Preclinical Sciences. Graduate programs are offered in Public Health, Physical Therapy, Endodontology, Periodontics, Clinical Pharmacy, Healthcare Management & Economics, Health Professions Education and Medical Laboratory Sciences. Located in Thumbay Medicity, Ajman, the hub of state-of-the-art medical education, healthcare and research, GMU provides clinical training to its students through the various academic health centers of the Gulf Medical University Academic Health System, including Thumbay University Hospital, Thumbay Dental Hospital and Thumbay Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Hospitals located in the campus. Since its inception 22 years ago, around 2000 students have passed out of GMU and successfully working at various positions – including CEOs, COOs, Medical Directors and Head of Departments – in the healthcare industry in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Europe, America and Australasia. Among them are a number of Emirati medical practitioners who have made a mark in many UAE hospitals, helping the country advance towards its healthcare goals. The University’s academic and research tie-ups with over 60 international universities and research institutions ensures global acceptance and employability.