Abu Dhabi biobank cuts cord blood banking costs, offers local storage for up to 30 years
Now, families in the UAE can benefit from an affordable, personalised medical resource that doubles the chances of matching with a family sourced stem cell — for half the previous cost.
That should broaden the treatment options for genetic and blood disorders since siblings only have a 25 percent chance of being a perfect match and a 50 per cent of being a partial match.
More than 60,000 transplants in over 30 countries have used stem cells extracted from umbilical cord blood, researchers point out, and the need for this life-saving treatment is growing.
These stem cells are essential for the treatment for more than 80 diseases, many of which are prevalent in the UAE such as thalassemia - which affects 16.5 per cent of the population - sickle cell anaemia (5.8 per cent), as well as leukaemia, lymphoma, bone marrow disorders, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders.
Paul Downey, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Biobank, stated: "The umbilical cord is an important connection between mother and pregnancy that provides nutrition to the baby. Furthermore, it is a reservoir of stem cells, specifically hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are highly proliferative and undergo multiple rounds of replication early on, making them young.
Where will it be stored in the UAE?
But, he added, "that leaves many families unable to take advantage of private cord blood banking due to prohibitive costs and low availability / capacity for storage in nearby regions." What Abu Dhabi Biobank is doing is reversing this trend providing half price cord blood banking for families from existing market prices.
Furthermore, whilst cord blood samples are usually packed and stored in foreign countries, Abu Dhabi Biobank will be storing sufficiently and securely samples in Abu Dhabi cord blood banking facility in Masdar City for 30 years armoured with modern automated technology and biobanking centre”
This capacity for long-term storage, he said, ensures stem cells are available for clinical use and can be used anywhere in the world without losing efficacy. Abu Dhabi Biobank is removing financial and logistical barriers to private cord blood banking, making the service affordable and accessible, and ensuring a medical resource is available to families that could be transported from any location.
Cord blood banking is the relatively simple practice of collecting and storing the blood that remains in a newborns umbilical cord after birth. It is simple to harvest, containing 10 times more stem cells than those derived from bone marrow.
Additionally, infectious diseases are seldom transmitted via cord blood stem cells, which carry only half the rejection lineage burden of adult stem cells.
'Bio repair kit'
In other words, the stem cells that come from your newborn can be really effective at treating disease, as they make new cells that substitute sick cells or can repair damaged tissue. Umbilical cord blood and tissue are amazing sources of hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells that act as a ‘bio repair kit’ to heal, restore and replenish other cells,” he continued.
Family banking preserves the samples for your family only. They are lifesavers for patients with stem cell-treatable diseases, especially for patients with a family history of disease or when a matched donor cannot be found.
This gives expectant families a safe, tailored medical resource for their children, and in many cases their other family members, to find a donor — siblings have a 25 percent chance of being a perfect match and 50 per cent a partial match, greatly improving treatment outcomes during the transplant for genetic and blood disorders.
They can be stored with family banking for exclusive use by the family.
Downey said: “They are a saviour providing a convenient and timely solution for those afflicted by a treatable disease with stem cells or, those with a family history of pathological disorders, or those with inadequate donor availability.”
On the other hand, top cooperation between Abu Dhabi Biobank with premium healthcare providers, regulators, and pharmaceutical and research institutions, guarantee thorough ethical, legal, and scientific supervision of biobanking.
Abu Dhabi Biobank collaborates with premier and fully-licensed healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, including M42′s Danat Al Emarat Women’s and Children Hospital, and further facilities like Corniche Hospital and Kanad Hospital. For families who want to enroll, visit our website at abudhabibiobank.ae or call 800 213 to talk to an advisor about banking with Abudhabi Bank. As well as being rolled out within partner hospitals, our teams will expand into other leading hospitals, maximising the number of families who can benefit," said Downey."
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