American University of Sharjah (AUS) professor Dr. Ghaleb A. Husseini along with a team of researchers has been developing a way to combat the harsh side effects of chemotherapy by using a more targeted treatment activated by ultrasound. The project has garnered increased media attention recently and the team has started receiving grants to complete its research.

The team of researchers, working at the recently established Drug Delivery Laboratory at AUS, is investigating the use of nanocapsules that will encapsulate the chemotherapeutic agent and prevent its interactions with healthy cells. Once the nanoparticle reaches the desired location, ultrasound is applied to release the chemotherapy drug directly to the cancer site, thus avoiding any interaction with the healthy cells in the body. This way, the adverse side effects of chemotherapy are minimized.

Dr. Husseini and Dr. Mohammad AlSayah, Associate Professor from the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, were awarded the Al Jalila Research Foundation seed grant for the project entitled "Acoustically Activated Release of Targeted Nanocarriers for Breast Cancer Treatment." This was in addition to an AUS grant.

The project was also awarded the Al Qasimi Research Foundation seed grant. In addition to this, the Drug Delivery Lab at AUS also received a donation from the Sharjah Patient's Friends Committee.

Dr. Husseini also recently participated in the Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Bioengineering (NDDB) Symposium, and delivered a presentation entitled "Nano Drug Delivery Ultrasound." Dr. Al Husseini is a distinguished speaker of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in Engineering Medicine Biology (EMB) who has participated in various national and international lectures.