Partner Institutes
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| University of Manchester | COMSATS Institute of Information Technology |
Project brief:
Hydrocephalus, also known as ‘water in the brain’, is a neurological condition caused by the abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. It affects one in 500 live births worldwide, up to one in 100 in developing countries, and is associated with life-long neurological problems. Very little research has been carried out to improve treatment for hydrocephalus, even though it has existed for centuries, with references to it in ancient Egyptian and Greek medical literature. To this day, there is no known cure for it and terminating the foetus is the only control method being practised.
The collaboration between the University of Manchester, UK and the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan aims to understand the cause of hydrocephalus in human babies which would help in developing a preventative and/or cure for the condition. The project builds on pre-clinical research on animals demonstrating a specific folate imbalance in the cerebrospinal fluid. In hydrocephalic rats, the condition has been shown to be preventable and treatable with a combination folate supplement given to the pregnant mother.
The
project will determine whether an imbalance of the cerebrospinal
fluid is associated with hydrocephalus in humans as well, indicating the potential to prevent and treat the condition.
This is the first time there has been hope for a treatment for hydrocephalus, a
major problem in
The project has been able to bring together
neonatologists, neurosurgeons and scientists based at hospitals in Lahore and in Manchester , Liverpool and Leeds
to collect and work on samples of cerebrospinal
fluid collected from babies.
The
project also aims to raise awareness in the local communities about the defect.
Numerous government and non-government institutions have participated in a
health campaign designed to educate parents and caregivers about how best to handle
children afflicted with this life-threatening condition.
Lessons learnt:
While
looking for the best way to transport samples of cerebrospinal
fluid to COMSATS and UK ,
the team made connections with the Biosciences Department at the University of Punjab
in Lahore Manchester and Lahore
Challenges faced:
- It
took a long time to get the project on ground for various political and
security reasons and proved impossible to find any English clinical staff to
visit
- Analysing
cerebrospinal fluid samples at COMSATS proved
a problem as the arrival of key biochemicals from Pakistani suppliers was
unnecessarily delayed. It also proved difficult to transport the chemicals from
the
The impact/benefits of
the project:
- A
major outcome of the project has been the setting up of the first research
laboratory in Lahore Children's Hospital. The lab will initially be used for
processing samples to send to the
- Another benefit has been the introduction of international research relevant to
an important clinical condition which has led to the possibility of future
collaborations between
Key contacts:
Dr
Jaleel Miyan, University
of Manchester
Prof.
Shahid Nadeem Chohan, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
