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."
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