The Saudi faculty member at Michigan State University Dr. Yasser Al-Dhamin, received a patent from the US Patent Office for an innovation that stimulates the functioning of immune cells within cancer blocks and increases the effectiveness of vaccines.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Al-Dhamin said: "The current patent describes the development of a modern technology that targets an immune protein with a high concentration on the surface of immune system cells in chronic cases, such as cancer and exposure to specific microbes, such as HIV, malaria parasite, and bacteria that cause tuberculosis, causing chronic diseases."

He added: "The protein targeted in this project is called CRACC, and our research has demonstrated that CRACC protein exists at a high concentration on the surface of immune system cells in cancers. This protein inhibits the functioning of immune system cells that helps the spread of cancer."

Al-Dhamin continued: "To translate this discovery for immunotherapy and to demonstrate that inhibiting the action of the CRACC protein stimulates the cells of the immune system against cancer, we have developed an immune protein called CRACC-Fc Fusion protein, which inhibits the CRACC protein within the immune system cells in cancer mass," stressing that his published research has proven the efficiency of the CRACC-Fc Fusion protein and its ability to stimulate immune cells.

Dr. Al-Dhamin also said that he used CRACC-Fc Fusion protein with vaccines directed against colon cancer (Ad5-CEA + CRACC-Fc) and against the acquired immune virus (Ad5-HIV/Gap + CRACC-FC) and proved its ability to increase vaccine efficiency.

Al-Dhamin, besides his duties, is the deputy director of research at the university's faculty of medicine. He supervised five PhD students, two master's students, and more than 15 bachelor's degree students. He also receives some high school interns for eight weeks due to his interest in training future researchers in the lab to motivate them. Al-Dhamin has also participated in 15 conferences worldwide, and he is a member of several advisory committees at the university to develop research and exchange expertise with researchers in countries like Egypt and Peru.

Source: Saudi Press Agency