A building at a cancer centre in Texas, named for the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, was inaugurated on Saturday.
The Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Building for Personalised Cancer Care is part of the MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas. Its programme will focus on enabling doctors to determine specific genetic and molecular abnormalities in each patient’s cancer, and prescribe treatments that directly target them.
The building was inaugurated by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, chief of the Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi, according to Wam, the state news agency.
It was built after the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation gave the cancer centre a US$150 million (Dh551,000) grant in 2011, according to the centre’s website.
Dr Ronald DePinho, president of the centre, commended the UAE for funding the project, noting that it would further enhance advanced research in the cancer diseases to ensure more effective treatment.
The building will provide an opportunity for doctors and scientists working in different aspects of cancer research and treatment to coordinate efforts to “draw experiences and ideas about causes of cancer,” said Dr Robert A Wolff, oncology fellowship programme professor in gastrointestinal medical oncology at the centre.
Sheikh Hamed also visited Emirati patients undergoing medical treatment at various private hospitals and health centres in Houston. He conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Khalifa, the President, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, wishing them a speedy recovery.
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