Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center recognized as Center of Excellence for Stem Cell Transplantation

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC) has treated 13 cancer patients and one woman with multiple sclerosis through the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program (AD-BMT).

The center, a subsidiary of integrated healthcare platform PureHealth, was the first to perform a successful bone marrow transplant in July 2020. The center has now been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, the UAE’s health regulator.

“The announcement is a testament to the center’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and its high-quality services in bone marrow transplantation. The center operates according to the best and latest international evidence-based practice and is led by an internationally recognized other regions to achieve the best patient outcomes,” the health ministry said in a statement.

Centers of Excellence are healthcare organizations that offer specialized and excellence programs with high levels of expertise and multidisciplinary resources. This enables them to carry out advanced medical procedures in specific clinical areas and conduct complex research to provide the highest level of care.

The new status of ADSCC was announced in the presence of DoH Chairman Mansoor Al Mansoori, DoH Acting Undersecretary Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, PureHealth Managing Director and CEO Farhan Malik, ADSCC CEO Dr Yendry Ventura and Dr Fatima Alkaabi. Executive Director of the ADSCC Bone Marrow Transplant Program.

The DoH outlines six key metrics to consider when evaluating whether a healthcare facility can be considered a Center of Excellence. These include clinical outcomes, patient experience, patient safety and quality of care, staff competency levels, and the institution’s medical education and research strategies. DoH also evaluates accreditation to determine the eligibility of healthcare facilities.

As a Center of Excellence for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, ADSCC provides comprehensive and specialized surgical and non-surgical clinical services of world-class medical quality for patients in need of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for treatment of blood disorders including autologous stem cell cell transplantation, allogeneic stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell therapy.

As a Center of Excellence for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, ADSCC will establish a comprehensive laboratory for leukemia diagnosis, led by an expert team of physicians specializing in bone marrow transplantation. Members of the expert team hold US or Canadian accreditation boards or equivalent.

Given its excellence and extensive experience, ADSCC will help advance medical research, promote continuing medical education, and provide training opportunities for medical personnel from a variety of health institutions.

“The support and guidance of our wise leadership motivates us to continue driving the emirate’s healthcare industry on the path to excellence. We are raising the bar for Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector as we recognize the first Center of Excellence dedicated to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.” competitiveness and efficiency, and steadily cement the emirate’s position as a leading global destination for healthcare. What we are witnessing today is just the beginning of a better, more sustainable future for the emirate’s healthcare sector. By encouraging the delivery of quality healthcare and integrating Using technology, science and best operating practices, we deliver on Abu Dhabi’s vision of enabling everyone to be at their healthiest, physically and mentally,” said Dr Al Ghaithi.

“The Ministry of Health has come up with a set of standards and guidelines to ensure operational efficiency and guarantee that centers of excellence in the emirate provide community members with a patient-centred healthcare experience. Patients in Abu Dhabi will have access to dedicated healthcare facilities, These facilities are led by experienced and competent healthcare professionals, providing quality, safe and efficient services,” she added.

To ensure patients have easy access to high-quality bone marrow transplant services, the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Committee was established under the leadership of ADSCC, a group of hematology specialists across the emirate to facilitate the provision of bone marrow transplant services.

“AD-BMT provides a comprehensive integrated ecosystem designed to implement innovative solutions, advanced research and cell therapies, while leveraging an educational platform for healthcare professionals and scientists,” said Dr. Alkaabi.

She highlighted the groundbreaking aspects of the programme, which was the first of its kind to successfully perform a bone marrow transplant in the UAE in July 2020 and the first center in the Middle East to offer bone marrow transplants to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS ) in 2022 November.

“The selection of ADSCC as a Center of Excellence for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation is a prestigious honour. This classification is a testament to our Group’s unwavering commitment to transforming the nation’s healthcare ecosystem under the direction of the UAE’s visionary leadership and to serve our of the highest quality of care for our patients, and the Center’s commitment to innovative research and collaboration. At PureHealth, we are committed to advancing the science of longevity with a continued focus on excellence and innovation. We will continue to lead the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center in developing new innovations for patients across the region. standard of care and prolong life for all,” said PureHealth’s Shaista Asif.

The AD-BMT program treats all patients through the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center and Yas Clinic Hospital in Khalifa. Through comprehensive clinical care, starting from the initial consultation to assess the patient’s eligibility for treatment, conducting pre-transplant examinations, evaluating and finding a donor by providing international bone marrow bank records and all cells collected by a professional team. Stem cells are processed, characterized and stored for clinical use under the supervision of skilled scientists and laboratory technicians.

The Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program (through Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation) provides treatment for a range of benign and malignant hematological and autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), using autologous or non-autologous stem cell transplantation or a combined approach at an advanced stage Cell therapy for adults and children.

ADSCC is a property of PureHealth, a highly specialized healthcare center focused on cell therapy and regenerative medicine technologies. It was established in March 2019 to meet the growing domestic and regional demand for highly specialized medical services and treatments. The center is primarily focused on processing, characterizing and storing cell products for clinical applications such as regenerative medicine, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, and continues to offer advanced treatments such as extracorporeal photopheresis.