SHARJAH, 17th September, 2025 (WAM) -- A research team from the University of Sharjah (UOS) has contributed to an international study aimed at developing a potential drug candidate to reduce brain injury caused by reduced blood and oxygen supply in newborns.
This condition, medically known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, is one of the leading causes of long-term motor and cognitive disabilities in infants. Current treatment options remain limited, relying mainly on therapeutic hypothermia, which does not provide sufficient protection.
The study, published in Neurotherapeutics in June 2025, demonstrated the effectiveness of a new experimental compound called BRT_002, a purine derivative, in reducing brain damage in an animal model that mimics oxygen and blood deprivation in newborns.
The University of Sharjah team included Professor Rifat Hamoudi, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics at the College of Medicine; Dr. Rania Harati, Associate Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the College of Pharmacy; and Dr. Amal Bouzid, Researcher in Bioengineering, Bioinformatics and Human Genetics at the Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences.
The project was carried out in collaboration with researchers from France, the United States, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and several international scientific institutions.
