Eminent Cardiac Surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub Visits the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Project
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Alexandria—
Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, received Sir Magdi Yacoub, the eminent cardiac surgeon, on Sunday, 15 April 2007, to follow up on the joint medical projects, adopted by the BA under the supervision of Sir Magdi Yacoub. Dr. Yacoub stated that Egypt will witness a huge leap in the treatment of cardiac diseases through the establishment of number of medical projects using the latest genetic tools for medical service and training young Egyptian Scientists and doctors in different places throughout Egypt, in cooperation with the Magdi Yacoub Institute in London.
Dr. Magdi Yacoub visited the Molecular Biology Research Unit, which is part of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Project, affiliated to the BA Academic and Cultural Sector. The Molecular Biology Research Unit is one of the most important medical and research centers in the Middle East in terms of the latest genetic tools. The site for the Molecular Biology Research Unit has already been selected and prepared at BA premises in Shallalat in Alexandria and started operation in April 2006. The genetic research in population at risk will help early detection of potential patients and their early management, using state of the art technologies in cooperation with Egyptian universities. It is worth mentioning that Sawiris Foundation is one of the main donors funding this medical unit, as well as other medical research centers in the Faculties of Medicine in Cairo and Alexandria.
This project serves very important functions. The first is to establish a community based national (open to all citizens) service relating to a very well defined neglected group of patients. These patients suffer from a genetic disease (HCM) which can cause sudden death in young adults and a lot of suffering and mortality at any age. This research unit will be linked to several subunits inside Egypt for detection of HCM patients on a national level. Moreover, it will also be attached to the Magdi Yacoub Research Institute in London and other centers in Oxford (UK) and Florence (Italy).
The Molecular Biology Research Unit is the first phase of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Project. The second and third phases will include the establishment of the Institute of Tropical diseases, and the High technical Medical Research Center. Under the umbrella of the BA, it was expressed the need to establish such centers, therefore, the Governor of Alexandria promised to allot ten feddans (42000 square meters) in the region of Borg el Arab for this project.