World renowned heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub said he will collaborate with Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail to research nanotechnology-based treatments for heart disease. Yacoub refused to disclose details about the project, saying only that the project would begin soon.
At a press conference following Saturday’s "Genetic Heart Diseases" conference, Yacoub said that Egypt’s doctors will begin using gene therapy for the treatment of genetic heart diseases following its success in the UK.
Yacoub, a recipient of the Nile Medal, Egypt's top honorary decoration, also stressed the importance of providing moral support to Egyptian citizens in order to deepen their sense of national unity.
Yacoub said the conference was attended by 40 world experts, in addition to 400 of the most outstanding doctors in Egypt. He went on to say that the conference addressed the detection of genetic heart disease in embryos, as well as gene therapy studies designed to help the Aswan Heart Centre (AHC) develop and train eligible Egyptian candidates.
Yacoub expressed his gratitude to President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian people for awarding him the Nile Medal, saying it boosted the morale of the AHC team.
The AHC is the largest international center for research, training and treatment in the field of heart disease in Aswan. The center provides comprehensive medical and humanitarian services to the less fortunate, in cooperation with Egyptian and international institutions and centers specializing in cardiology.
Yacoub said he would visit the AHC once a month to perform heart surgeries.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
