Abu Dhabi to launch the region's first biobank

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and M42 have collaborated to launch the Abu Dhabi Biobank, with its first offering being the region’s largest hybrid cord blood bank.

It aims to boost treatment accessibility and research, positioning Abu Dhabi as a global life sciences hub. 

The initiative, unveiled during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week, offers cord blood preservation at four healthcare entities across the emirate. 

With a capacity to store 100,000 cord blood samples and five million pan-human samples, the biobank supports research and therapy development for up to 30 years. 

Located in M42's Omics Centre of Excellence, the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to preserve samples securely for research and therapeutic purposes for up to 30 years.

The Abu Dhabi Biobank will foster global innovation in therapy development, as it holds huge potential for regenerative medicine, aiding in rare disease treatment, genetic screening, early detection, and scientific research.

The cord blood bank locally collects and preserves umbilical cord cells, offering donors the choice of preserving a newborn’s stem cells at birth, for potentially lifesaving treatments. Expectant mothers can preserve their baby’s cord blood and have the opportunity to preserve the stem cells as part of public or private banking.

This effort reflects Abu Dhabi's commitment to advancing healthcare and fostering innovation in regenerative medicine and genetic screening.
 

.@DoHSocial and @M42Health have established the region’s largest hybrid cord blood bank, supporting the UAE’s strategy to combat life-threatening and prevalent diseases including thalassemia, sickle cell disease and various forms of cancer. pic.twitter.com/1O3rgw7Uei

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) May 14, 2024