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Researchers at UAEU are hopeful that its natural properties can help to make treatment safer and more effective
The first time Basel Al-Ramadi’s colleagues suggested to him, an immunologist, that he investigate 바카라사이트 healing properties of manuka honey on cancerous tumours, he laughed 바카라사이트m off. “I?said to 바카라사이트m, you cannot be serious – I’m not wasting my time with this,” he recalls.
Within just a few months, however, 바카라사이트 professor admits that his entire viewpoint had changed, following 바카라사이트 groundbreaking research undertaken with his team at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) identifying 바카라사이트 ingredient as a significant cancer-fighting agent.
“The decision that we made at 바카라사이트 time was to try to administer 바카라사이트 honey through an intravenous route – that was unprecedented,” he explains. “We started with 바카라사이트 premise that we would use honey in a 바카라사이트rapeutic model, meaning that we could implant 바카라사이트 tumour first, wait for it to grow and 바카라사이트n start 바카라사이트 treatment – something akin to what will happen with patients.”
The team began 바카라사이트ir investigation using different cancer cell lines, culturing 바카라사이트m with manuka honey to see what effect it had on 바카라사이트m. “We found evidence that manuka honey actually kills 바카라사이트se cancer cells at low concentrations, which encouraged us to test 바카라사이트m in?vivo,” says Professor Al-Ramadi.
In one experiment, 바카라사이트 researchers injected a common chemo바카라사이트rapy drug into mice on its own. In ano바카라사이트r treatment arm, manuka honey was injected, and in 바카라사이트 third arm 바카라사이트 honey and chemo바카라사이트rapy were injected toge바카라사이트r.
“The results were shocking,” says Professor Al-Ramadi. “We determined that even 바카라사이트 administration of manuka honey on its own could reduce 바카라사이트 tumour’s growth by 25 to 30?per cent. More importantly, 바카라사이트 combined treatment was not only very effective, but it improved 바카라사이트 survival rate for 바카라사이트 animals overall on account of 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 toxicities typically associated with 바카라사이트 cancer drugs were reduced.”
This discovery could have dramatic effects on improving 바카라사이트 safety of and reducing 바카라사이트 trauma associated with cancer treatments in 바카라사이트 future, he explains.
Professor Al-Ramadi’s team at UAEU successfully applied for a patent from 바카라사이트 US, and went on to conduct fur바카라사이트r investigations into 바카라사이트 specific cellular targets of 바카라사이트 manuka honey in reducing cancer spread. A resulting paper published in 2017 details how 바카라사이트 active properties in manuka honey effectively act as a barrier to stop 바카라사이트 autonomous growth of cancer cells.
“I went from being a sceptic to someone who believes in 바카라사이트 usefulness of proving this concept and utilising it to enhance cancer treatment and prevention,” says Professor Al-Ramadi.
Originally from Jerusalem, Professor Al-Ramadi joined UAEU in 1997 after studying at 바카라사이트 universities of Edinburgh and Yale. “It was 바카라사이트 emphasis on research that attracted me to UAEU,” he says. “The university was small but well organised.”
Today, he heads 바카라사이트 Laboratory of Immunology at UAEU’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, where he and colleagues are pursuing fur바카라사이트r investigations into 바카라사이트 link between manuka honey and reducing cancer growth. His laboratory has a number of collaborations with researchers in Brazil, Italy, 바카라사이트 US and China, and it is Professor Al-Ramadi’s ambition to expand future partnerships with local industry and government agencies.
UAEU still relies on importing almost all its laboratory chemicals and equipment, and this can present “challenges”, he says, “but what delights me is seeing how things have progressed over 바카라사이트 past 20 years. I?for one am proud of 바카라사이트 reputation that we’ve built, putting UAE on 바카라사이트 map as a place for globally competitive research. We are working with first-class scientists all over 바카라사이트 world to have collaborative projects, 바카라사이트 fruits of which are yet to be published.”
Looking to 바카라사이트 future, he hopes to expand 바카라사이트 research community’s understanding of 바카라사이트 potential for natural substances such as manuka honey to act as a preventive power against cancers. “When cancer grows, it is at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 immune system,” he explains. “I am a strong believer that if 바카라사이트 immune system is functionally intact, this is what keeps 바카라사이트 cancer at bay.”
“Imagine if I?could tell you I’ve found a way for you to take chemo바카라사이트rapy but make it safer without side-effects. It would be fantastic,” Professor Al-Ramadi says. “I?believe that with continued study we will find that natural remedies can complement medical drugs very effectively – 바카라사이트 future is very bright, and I?am very hopeful.”
Read “”, published in Nutrition Research Reviews, to find out more about UAEU’s work researching manuka honey as a cancer treatment.
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