Abu Dhabi stem cell center conduct first ever bone marrow transplant successfully

The United Arab Emirates has successfully inaugurated the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant programme, AD-BMT after Abu Dhabi stem cell centre (ADSCC) conducted its first-ever bone marrow transplant today.

Until now, Emirati citizens were looking for a medical facility outside the country to treat cancer which requires using cell therapy and regenerative medicines even though cancer causes third highest numbers of deaths in the country. Bone marrow transplant is used to treat patients with hematological and oncological illnesses and it was performed on a patient with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

Now thanks to the collaboration between ADSCC and Sheikh Khalifa Medical city, cancer patients in the UAE can seek treatment closer to their home and receive support and care from their family members as well.

This treatment procedure developed by the ADSCC is one the unique ones that involves harvesting peripheral blood stem cells from the patient and then the patient goes through high dose chemotherapy to eradicate all cancerous cells and most of the bone marrow. Bone marrow transplants is one of the more established stem cell-based therapies in the treatment of cancer and particularly blood cancer. As per the procedure, after the removal of most of the bone marrow, harvested stem cells were infused back in the bloodstream where they restore the destroyed cells and over the course of two weeks restart the production of healthy non-malignant blood cells.

"The patient is basically without an immune system while waiting for the transfused cells to take effect and must remain in isolation under the strictest infection control guidelines," said Dr. Yendry Ventura, General Manager of ADSCC and BMT Programme Director told WAM. "Since we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, we took additional precautions to ensure the best outcome possible for all involved."

Earlier last month, ADSCC announced the results of the trial of its breakthrough treatment for COVID-19 patients, branded UAECell19, demonstrating its remarkable safety and efficacy. UAECell19 went on to secure three levels of intellectual property protection in recognition of its originality and novel medical application. Moreover, today’s announcement of the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant programme demonstrates ADSCC’s continued commitment to delivering state-of-the-art and evidence-based services to the UAE market, including an array of stem cell therapies. It aims to make the BMT treatment available to all patients in the UAE who require it.

ADSCC has been seeing  groundbreaking success in recent months. Last month, the organisation also announced the results of the trials of its treatment pattern for the COVID-19 patients, branded UAECell19 and showed just how they are stepping into advanced medical science. Even after achievement, they made sure to focus on other medical demands that the country has and announced the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant programme that demonstrates ADSCC’s continuous commitment to serving people.

"It fills us with great pride to be part of a first for the country and to make such a life-saving treatment available and accessible to those who need it here," said Dr. Fatima Alkaabi, BMT Executive Director. "We are very grateful for the support and collaboration of SKMC in making this opportunity possible."