Syrian team patents locally developed device for cancer research
The research team consists of Dr. Thaer Asaad, Dr. Razan Al-Zeibaq and Dr. Ahmad Fayoumi. Their achievement could open new avenues for cancer treatment research, an area of growing importance in Syria.
According to the commission's media office, the team successfully designed and manufactured a “photodynamic irradiation device with different wavelengths and doses.” The device was developed entirely in Syria and manufactured in the laboratories of the Syrian Atomic Energy Commission to enable research applications of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on cancer cells.
The device, described as the first of its kind in Syria, was developed using reverse-engineering techniques. The researchers equipped it with an advanced LED light source producing red, green and yellow light. The system provides highly uniform and precise light distribution compatible with 96-well cell culture plates and operates at a specified power level, allowing the required doses to be accurately delivered to targeted cells using standardized photosensitizing compounds.
According to the media office, in vitro laboratory testing demonstrated the device's full functional and biological effectiveness, in line with recognized international standards and specifications.
The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission's media office said the invention represents a significant step forward for scientific and medical research in Syria, as it makes an advanced technology for cancer treatment research available locally for the first time through domestic expertise. It could also reduce reliance on complex and costly imported equipment.
The commission also highlighted the innovation's added value in enabling Syrian researchers to expand studies on photodynamic therapy and develop new therapeutic compounds and formulations for tumors. Such efforts could contribute to strengthening health security and support the country's strategy of localizing technology and promoting scientific innovation to address medical challenges through highly efficient domestic alternatives.
