Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has visited Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC).
Dr. Yendry Ventura, General Manager of ADSCC, along with Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Director of the AD-BMT Programme, and the leadership team, welcomed Dr. Tedros to ADSCC’s state-of-the-art facility.
ADSCC specialises in developing pioneering technology methods for targeted stem cell therapies that rapidly detect, identify, and count specific cells.
During the visit, future collaborations in clinical innovation were discussed as ADSCC aims to become the WHO’s first partner in the Middle East.
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The WHO has led the global effort in combatting COVID-19 and commended ADSCC for providing its cutting-edge stem cell treatment to infected patients. More than 13,800 patients have received “UAE-Cell19” treatment to date.
Additionally, ADSCC’s research was referenced in the latest edition of the WHO Therapeutics and COVID-19 Living Guideline issued on 7th December, which notes the most up-to-date recommendations for the use of therapeutics in the treatment of COVID-19.
ADSCC was also commended for contributing to the national testing and vaccination programme as the centre recorded over 14.5 million PCR tests to date. In collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH) and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), ADSCC has administered more than 172,600 vaccinations and has provided remote vaccination centres and home visits for vulnerable patients with chronic diseases and the elderly.
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Dr. Tedros and Dr. Hawa Al Mansoori, ADSCC Executive Director of the Department of Intramural Research and Member of the Federal National Council of the UAE, also spoke about the newly announced letter of intent signed between ADSCC and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The initiative will help to grow research partnerships in response to unique scientific opportunities as they arise between the UAE and the United States.
ADSCC was founded in March 2019 with the primary objective of meeting growing domestic and regional demand for advanced medical services and the most innovative treatments in the country.
As a leader in stem cell therapy in the UAE and region, ADSCC recently succeeded in its first experiment to locally manufacture CAR T-Cells in a laboratory and is close to starting clinical trials to prove the safety and effectiveness of CAR T-Cell therapy in treating hematologic cancers. The centre is also working towards creating treatments for Type-1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
