On Thursday, Zimbabwean scientists announced they have found a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and developed a new treatment for melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Professor Simon Mukwembi, who led the research, explained that they used a computer system named Rutava to discover a special chemical. This chemical targets only cancer cells, leaving healthy cells alone, which raises hopes for treating various types of cancer.
The research was done with help from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. For now, they focused on melanoma and Alzheimer’s.
At a news conference in Harare, Professor Mukwembi said Rutava can be adjusted to target other diseases. The technology used in Rutava is based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, which can speed up drug development from years to just months.
Professor Mukwembi said: “We have a compound that targets only cancerous cells, which is different from current drugs that affect both cancer and healthy cells. This could be a major breakthrough because cancer is a huge global issue.”
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He added that Rutava can also be used to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. With more than 55 million people worldwide suffering from Alzheimer’s, and numbers expected to rise sharply, this discovery could have a significant impact.
While the new treatments are promising, they still need to go through clinical trials before they can be widely used. The research team hopes that their technology, which makes dr_g development faster and cheaper, will help make significant progress in treating these diseases.
The team includes Dr. Eloise van der Merwe, Prof. Farai Nyabadza, Prof. Yasien Sayed, Prof. Betsie Jonck, Prof. Eunice Mphako-Banda, Dr. Ronnie Maartens, Moster Zhangazha, Neo Padi, and Thabelo Mulenga.
Dr. Marume mentioned that while they plan to patent their discovery, they will need funding for further development. This means that future profits might be shared with those who support the necessary clinical trials and other expenses.
