Latest news with #Fityan
Al Etihad
07-05-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi medical team gears up to monitor blood sugar levels of astronauts in space
7 May 2025 19:57 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)A team of Burjeel doctors led by Dr Mohammad Fityan is preparing to monitor blood glucose levels of astronauts on the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) scientific mission to the International Space Station (ISS).The Burjeel-led study aims to explore glucose metabolism and aspects of diabetes in microgravity. Ax-4 is a planned private spaceflight to the ISS, operated by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX and NASA. Scheduled for launch on May 29, the mission will carry four astronauts from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon the 14-day mission, the crew will conduct around 60 scientific studies from 31 countries, with the Burjeel study among them.'We will study the effect of the space environment on glucose metabolism in the body. This can enhance our understanding of diabetes as well as other metabolic diseases that affect blood sugar levels,' said Dr Fityan said in an interview with Aletihad.'On Earth, it's difficult to isolate the effects of gravity, muscle use, and posture on glucose regulation. In microgravity, changes in muscle mass, fluid distribution, and circadian rhythm provide a new lens through which we can study how glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity are regulated,' he all crew members will wear monitors. 'One or more astronauts will be wearing glucose monitors for the entire mission,' he said. 'A dedicated research team and laboratory experts at Burjeel will monitor real-time health data from the ISS,' he study will also examine insulin stability in space. 'Insulin pens will be sent on the flight, but astronauts will not use them. We are testing the viability and stability of insulin in the space environment.'Burjeel will also send lancets, needles, and point-of-care blood glucose machines. 'Blood samples will be taken during the flight to validate glucose levels,' said Dr Fityan, who is currently serving as Director of Medical Education at Burjeel Holdings and is also its Chief Medical Fityan, a US citizen of Iraqi origin, is a double board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. He has also served as an Assistant Clinical Professor and Student Clerkship Director in the United States. He noted that current spaceflight protocols exclude insulin-dependent diabetics. 'NASA has excluded insulin-dependent diabetics from travelling to space. There are no official exclusions for non–insulin-dependent diabetics, but so far, no astronaut with diabetes has travelled to space' said Dr Fityan, who will be present at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the day of the proposed launch. 'By understanding blood glucose patterns, validating glucose monitors' reliability, assessing insulin stability, and evaluating data transmission, this research will help ensure the safety of astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes in future missions.'Dr Fityan believes the findings could benefit Earth-based care as well. 'These findings may help us uncover novel regulatory pathways or early biomarkers for insulin resistance, potentially leading to preventive interventions long before diabetes manifests,' he added: 'The study may also evolve glucose monitoring tools optimised for low-activity or remote settings, benefiting patients on Earth through wearable tech and telehealth innovations.'Ultimately, Dr Fityan sees the Ax-4 study as a stepping stone toward more inclusive space missions. 'Understanding how glucose regulation is affected in non-diabetic individuals in microgravity is the first step toward assessing what might happen in those with impaired glucose metabolism.' 'In the long run, studies like Ax-4 can help rewrite the criteria for spaceflight eligibility—not by lowering standards, but by developing technologies and protocols that make space more accessible for people living with chronic conditions like diabetes.'
The National
25-04-2025
- Health
- The National
UAE study on diabetes heads to space to unlock new treatments
A UAE-led medical study heading to space could help astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes join future missions and lead to new technologies that make treating the condition easier and more effective on Earth. The research by Abu Dhabi's Burjeel Hospital and Houston-based Axiom Space will be carried out as part of the Axiom Mission 4, also known as Ax-4. It will be launched on a SpaceX rocket from a Florida spaceport, with a target launch date currently set for May 29. Ax-4 will include veteran Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, India's first astronaut since 1984, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Dr Mohammad Fityan, chief medical officer at Burjeel Medical City and clinical lead of the research, told The National that it is difficult to isolate the effects of gravity, muscle use and posture on glucose regulation, but Earth's orbit offers a unique advantage. 'In microgravity, changes in muscle mass, fluid distribution and circadian rhythm provide a new lens, through which we can study how glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity are regulated,' he said. 'This can lead to insights that are not apparent under Earth conditions such as how quickly insulin resistance may develop without regular mechanical loading of muscles, or how hormonal and cellular responses adapt in the absence of gravity.' The astronauts will wear continuous glucose monitors, commonly used by people on Earth, during their 14-day mission to track their blood sugar levels in real time while in microgravity. They will follow a detailed schedule of tests before, during and after the mission to help researchers understand how well these monitors perform in orbit. It will also test to see how insulin behaves in space by studying the drug's exposure to microgravity and checking its strength and stability once it returns to Earth. 'These findings may help us uncover novel regulatory pathways or early biomarkers for insulin resistance, potentially leading to preventive interventions long before diabetes manifests,' said Dr Fityan. The research aims to make space more accessible for people suffering from the disease. Nasa currently does not consider patients with Type-1 diabetes eligible for spaceflight because of unpredictable blood sugar fluctuations and the challenges of administering insulin without immediate medical support. The study also builds on a breakthrough from Virgin's Galactic 07 mission in June, which proved that insulin pens can work properly in microgravity. Dr Fityan said the research could also lead to new technologies such as advanced glucose monitors designed for extreme environments, as well as artificial intelligence tools that can predict insulin needs with greater accuracy. It may also help develop medications that improve insulin sensitivity or mimic the effects of exercise, offering better treatment options for people with limited mobility. Figures from the International Diabetes Federation show that about 783 million people, or one in eight adults, will be living with diabetes by 2045, marking a 46 per cent increase. In the North America and Caribbean region, the number is expected to rise by 24 per cent, while in the Middle East and North African region, it is projected to increase by 87 per cent. 'The technologies and advances that could result from this project could also improve our ability to provide remote care for patients with diabetes and other health conditions on Earth,' said Dr Mike Harrison, chief medical officer at Axiom Space.
