The Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC) has been the pioneer in working as a centric centre when it comes to groundbreaking research and medical treatment innovation in the United Arab Emirates. It has essentially been functional in research related to the Covid-19 virus, SARS CoV-2 and treatment options for the same. ADSCC inaugurated a focused Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Programme (AD-BMT) on July 27, 2020.

Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, BMT Executive Director noted that the ADSCC is essentially focused on emerging treatments, breakthrough research and medical treatment. She also mentioned that in very short span of time the centre has proven its weight when it came to breakthrough research and treatment.

The centre has come up with an innovative novel treatment for Covid-19 patients using stem cell therapy. In this treatment modality stem cells are taken from patient’s own blood, modified and then re-administered through inhalation. This also helps in reducing the inflammation and rapid recovery. Stem cells are used for their inherent property of self-regeneration and self-renewal. Dr. Kaabi stressed that for this unique property of stem cells they are useful in treatment of cancers. Many other diseases that are still a big question on treatment, can have a good response with ongoing research related to stem cells.

UAE’s first Bone Marrow Transplant was done in ADSCC in mid-July which was successfully achieved in a patient with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. This is a promising news for cancer patients in the country who till now had to go overseas for the treatment. The BMT was done as collaboration between ADSCC and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. Stem cell transplant for cancers is mostly proven to be curative and this was successfully achieved with the country’s first bone marrow transplant done in a blood cancer patient on July 21. The centre is working on stem cell research to bring forward a treatment for Covid-19 patients.