Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi on Tuesday participated in a Maleth research project aboard the International Space Station, which will help experts to develop a drug to treat Type 2 diabetes.
The Dubai Media Office (DMO) tweeted a video in which Al Neyadi explained the details of the Maleth project, which aims to develop medicine to treat type 2 diabetes, in a collaborative effort between international entities, including the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in Dubai.
With this research, Al Neyadi said, “The scientists aim to improve the efficiency of treating diabetic foot ulcers and make a real difference in the lives of people affected by this condition”.
Al Neyadi further said he had the privilege of supporting the “interesting research experiment in biomedical science and healthcare, which uses the space environment to conduct research, which is strongly relevant to life on Earth”.
He highlighted that diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy close to half a billion people are living with diabetes worldwide, and the number is projected to increase in the years to come.
Al-Neyadi expressed his gratitude on Twitter for his participation in the research project.
He said on Twitter, “I am proud to be conducting a trial in Project Maleth, which will advance precision-based medicine for type 2 diabetes.”
“🇲🇹🇺🇸🇬🇧🇧🇪🇸🇦🇦🇪 By joining forces with global research partners and collaborators, we are harnessing the unique conditions of space to push the boundaries of knowledge. Over 500 million people worldwide have diabetes, and we are working together to provide them with better treatment options.”
Maleth’s project mainly focuses on obtaining results that can facilitate and improve precision-based medicine in treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) more efficiently.
Joseph Borg, the project coordinator of Maleth, said on Twitter, “Dear Sultan, as project coordinator of Maleth, it is an immense honour to see you handling and collaborating from #space on such an important condition. You carried in your hands — not just samples of patients, but also the passion, perseverance and heart of true scientists.”
