The development of Digital Health in Saudi Arabia has been evolving at a rapid pace, in alignment with the health sector’s 2030 Transformation Program. This chapter will cover the development of the digital health sector and outline some of the main technologies that serve it. As an introduction, the journey of digital health, specifically Electronic Health Records, among other technologies within the landscape of Saudi Arabia, have been outlined. Followed by an introduction of the digital health transformation, technologies and solutions that were introduced or enhanced in the existing digital market, including: Telemedicine, patient portals, mHealth, wearable health monitoring technologies, virtual reality and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, blockchains, and the Seha virtual hospital. The chapter will be explored through references to key players in the digital health ecosystem, such as the patients, providers, the Ministry of Health (MOH), other regulators and initiatives, including their contributions to digital health in the Kingdom. The chapter will conclude with implications and opportunities for investment in this field, specifically artificial intelligence (AI). Research, partnerships and changing healthcare reform are highlighted as driving improvements in Saudi Arabian digital health.

Background: The oligostilbenes cis-and trans-gnetin H were previously studied for their ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. However, an in-depth understanding of the proteins involved in this process remains poorly understood. Methods: The ability of cis-and trans-gnetin H to act as an antioxidant by scavenging one of the stable free radicals DPPH was tested. We also tested the ability of both compounds to generate oxidative stress through elevating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in apoptosis using lung cancer cell line A549. Also, immunoassay Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was performed to test the levels of the major apoptotic proteins using a negative estrogen receptor (ER-) breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Results: Cis-and trans-gnetin H treatment showed a high percentage of the radical scavenging activity =%24 at the lowest concentration 12.5μM (p≤0.0001) and elevated the levels of ROS in A549 to 50%, 45%, respectively (p≤0.001). In addition, cis-and trans-gnetin H induced early apoptosis in A549 cell line to 59% and 38.9%, respectively, at the highest concentration of 25μM compared to the untreated control (p≤0.0001). Results from apoptosis protein array showed certain up-regulated proteins such as Bid, Bad, cytochrome c, FasL, TRAIL1-4 and down regulated proteins such as XIAP, surviving, Hsp60, suggesting inducing apoptosis was facilitated by cross talk between intrinsic and extrinsic pathway through TRAIL pathway. Conclusion: These observations suggested that cis-and trans-gnetin H induces apoptosis in human lung and breast cancer cells in vitro through elevating the levels of oxidative stress and directly affecting the primary regulator of apoptosis proteins.

Cancer metastasis is a significant contributor to global morbidity and mortality rates. The urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) play an essential role in facilitating abnormal cell metastasis and tumor progression. This research examines novel uPA/uPAR compounds as potential anticancer targets in various types of tumors. Several compounds were screened for their bioactivity and inhibitory effects on uPA and its receptor interactions, demonstrating the significant potential of a compound previously recognized as a promising uPA inhibitor, initially developed for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The compounds exhibited notably low IC₅₀ values, as low as 1.4 μM, against the aggressive triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 compared to the chemotherapeutic drug Mitoxantrone. MDA-MB-231 cells treated with KCO241 and KCO246 exhibited selective anticancer activity, inducing apoptotic pathways and demonstrating selective anticancer efficacy. This study showed that these novel uPA inhibitors have potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of metastatic cancers and the modulation of disease progression. Subsequent preclinical in vivo investigations will further evaluate the safety as well as pharmacological characteristics and potential for translation.