ABU DHABI – Expectant families in the UAE now have access to a revolutionary, affordable, and personalized medical resource that enhances the likelihood of finding a suitable stem cell match within their own family.
Abu Dhabi Biobank has launched an innovative private umbilical cord blood banking service that offers families the opportunity to preserve stem cells at half the cost of current market rates.
Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which play a critical role in treating over 80 life-threatening diseases, including thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia, lymphoma, and various genetic conditions.
These stem cells are particularly significant in the UAE, where thalassemia affects 16.5% of the population, and sickle cell anaemia impacts 5.8%.
Paul Downey, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Biobank, explained the importance of umbilical cord blood in medical treatment.
“The umbilical cord is a vital link between the mother and the child during pregnancy that nourishes the baby. Most importantly, it contains a rich source of stem cells called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are young, making them able to replicate themselves rapidly,” said Downey in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times.
The launch of this service is a game-changer for families who have long been deterred by the high cost of private cord blood banking and the limited availability of local storage facilities.
Downey added that many families have been unable to benefit from private cord blood banking due to financial constraints and logistical challenges related to shipping samples abroad.
Abu Dhabi Biobank addresses these challenges by offering families the option to bank cord blood at half the market price and store it locally at its state-of-the-art facility in Masdar City.
The facility, equipped with automated technology and large-capacity biobanking infrastructure, ensures that stem cells remain viable for up to 30 years and can be accessed anywhere in the world.
“By making private cord blood banking more affordable and accessible, Abu Dhabi Biobank is eliminating financial and logistical barriers, ensuring that families have a medical resource accessible from anywhere,” Downey stated.
Cord blood banking involves the collection and storage of blood left in the newborn’s umbilical cord after birth. This fluid contains ten times more stem cells than those obtained from bone marrow and carries a significantly lower risk of transmitting infectious diseases. Moreover, cord blood stem cells have half the risk of rejection compared to adult stem cells.
The stored stem cells offer a remarkable healing potential through the generation of new cells to replace diseased ones or repair damaged tissue, making them an invaluable resource for families battling genetic and blood disorders.
Furthermore, siblings have a 25% chance of being a perfect stem cell match and a 50% chance of being a partial match, improving treatment outcomes.
“Expectant families now have a secure, personalized medical resource for their children and potentially other family members, increasing the chances of finding a suitable stem cell match within families,” Downey noted.
Abu Dhabi Biobank has partnered with leading healthcare providers in the UAE, including M42’s Danat Al Emarat Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Corniche Hospital, and Kanad Hospital, to ensure high-quality biobanking services. Families can register for the service through the Abu Dhabi Biobank website or by calling 800 213 for more information.
This initiative marks a significant milestone in advancing stem cell therapy accessibility, providing a lifeline for families seeking treatment options for blood and genetic disorders in the UAE.