Nov. 27, Manama (BNA): The Royal Medical Services, RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in Dublin have announced the successful progress of a collaborative research project that aims to improve wound healing by developing a novel biomaterial and a new medical device.
RCSI, Royal Medical Services announce breakthrough in wound healing research for diabetic patients
Brigadier (Dr.) Fahad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Commander of the Royal Medical Services; Professor Stephen Atkin, Head of the School of Postgraduate Studies and Research at RCSI Medical University of Bahrain; and Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and Head of the Tissue Engineering Research Group at RCSI in Dublin, led this research collaboration. The partnership has developed a unique biomaterial that speeds up wound healing, with encouraging pre-clinical results.
Under the direction of Dr. Mohammed Al Muharraqi, Director of the RCSI–RMS Research Collaboration and Director of the Crown Prince Center for Training & Medical Research, and Professor Michael Keogh, Associate Professor in Human Biology and Head of the Tissue Engineering Research Group at RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, the project brought together clinical and scientific expertise from Bahrain and Ireland. Eleven research and medical experts, along with Dr. Martin Maresch, Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon at Royal Medical Services, provided them with support. In comparison to conventional clinical dressings, the team effectively created and proved a biomaterial that improves tissue repair by enhancing blood vessel creation and minimizing scarring. Preclinical findings demonstrated that the biomaterial successfully integrates with surrounding tissue and encourages more thorough recovery in individuals with diabetes and the elderly.
Enterprise Ireland provided €1 million in research funding for the team’s most recent phase of work, which supported the DocLeaf project, which focuses on creating a medical device for healing chronic wounds. By addressing localized tissue hypoxia and promoting the body’s natural repair processes, the gadget seeks to promote quicker and more long-lasting healing. From an original concept created at RCSI in Dublin to the first in vivo study conducted at the RMS Crown Prince Centre for Training & Medical Research in Bahrain, the project has advanced over the last 18 months.
Dr. Mohammed Al Muharraqi said” The progress achieved in the DocLeaf design stands as a testament to our moxie in advanced biomedical exploration and highlights the growing part of the Kingdom of Bahrain in introducing medical exploration that addresses global health challenges.”
Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, added” This action demonstrates the strength of our transnational exploration collaborations and our commitment to perfecting health issues through scientific discovery. We aim to restate these results into practical results that directly enhance patient care.
“I am very grateful to the team in Bahrain for their commitment to advancing the DocLeaf project,” stated Professor Fergal O’Brien. I am confident in our combined abilities to spearhead cutting-edge research collaborations between Bahrain and Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland has expressed gratitude for the caliber and significance of our collaborative research.”
Diabetic individuals are especially vulnerable to non-healing ulcers and associated infections, making chronic wounds a growing global problem. This collaboration strengthens Bahrain’s standing as a regional center for applied and pre-clinical research and is a critical step in the country’s healthcare innovation ecosystem.
By speeding up tissue repair and attaining superior healing results, the collaborative research seeks to promote skin regeneration and enhance the healing of diabetic wounds, venous leg ulcers, and chronic wounds. Patients with diabetic foot ulcers and other chronic wounds may benefit from these developments in terms of improved quality of life, limb preservation, infection prevention, and patient recovery.
In order to commercialize the technology and incorporate it into clinical applications, the team hopes that this research will result in the formation of a new start-up in 2026.
