Families in the UAE urged to donate umbilical cord blood to boost treatment for more than 80 diseases

Abu Dhabi Biobank campaign aims to harness life-saving stem cells in cord blood

Blood from umbilical cords can play a key role in helping to save lives. Getty Images

Families in the UAE have been asked to donate their baby's cord blood at birth, as part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of its life-saving potential.

Authorities are shining a light on the vital role of stem cells found in the umbilical cord. These cells can be used to treat a wide range of blood, immune and genetic disorders, including cancers and other conditions affecting children.

“One of the primary reasons for building a public cord blood bank is to provide well-matched treatment that is personalised between genetically similar individuals,” said Paul Downey, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Biobank. “That’s critically important to the success of any cord blood transplant.”

Until recently, the UAE did not have a public stem cell bank that families could access. Now, Abu Dhabi Biobank, which opened this year as a result of a collaboration between M42 and the Department of Health, has the capacity to store up to 100,000 cord blood samples.

Now the challenge is to educate families on the value of stem cells found in cord blood, said Mr Downey. The hope is the blood will be preserved for use by the family or donated for public research.

Paul Downey, general manager of Abu Dhabi Biobank, has emphasised the vital role cord blood donations could play. Victor Besa / The National

Getting the message across

One facet of the operation involves staff from the biobank at maternity clinics in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to discuss options with expectant mothers.

“Our advocates and advisers are out there across leading hospitals and they’re talking to families, educating them,” he said. “Research suggests that 95 per cent of cord blood is usually discarded as medical waste, due to lack of awareness, despite the fact that it contains valuable stem cells that can be used to treat more than 80 diseases.”

Cord blood stem cells have regenerative capabilities that can help repair damaged cells and treat life-threatening conditions such as leukaemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anaemia and immune deficiencies.

“It is critically important to note that stem cells in cord blood have the power to regenerate within the body and help repair damaged cells,” Mr Downey said. “And it’s not just superficial conditions – it’s really very serious ones that are highly debilitating and even life-threatening. So it literally saves lives.”

He said nearly 80 medical disorders are already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment with cord blood-derived stem cells.

Public cord blood donation is free of charge. Parents also have options to preserve cord blood for their family's future and Abu Dhabi Biobank has also worked to reduce costs. Private banking services for a family’s own use begin at Dh7,500 for 30 years of storage.

“We’ve managed to keep our costs as reasonable as possible, and it is half the prevailing market rates,” said Mr Downey, who previously noted that such storage costs can typically range from Dh15,000 to Dh30,000.

“We appreciate that when you’re having a baby, there are lots of changes in your life. And as parents prepare for a new journey, we encourage that they opt for cord blood banking.

“It’s the only opportunity you have to collect the stem cells of the baby. Otherwise, they’re lost to clinical waste.”

The cord blood is collected immediately after delivery, with no harm to mother or child. “Yes, it’s collected immediately after the baby is born, while they’re cutting the cord, the midwife or nurse would assist,” he said. “Families will always have the choice to bank it privately to secure their family’s future or donate for research and development.”

Inside the Abu Dhabi Biobank centre, large cylindrical tanks cooled to -196°C with liquid nitrogen hold thousands of cord blood samples in long-term storage, which can remain safe for up to 30 years.

When needed, the samples are thawed under controlled conditions to preserve their effectiveness for transplant. The first transplant using publicly donated stem cells at the biobank is expected to take place later this year.

Abu Dhabi Biobank expects its first transplant using publicly donated stem cells to take place later this year. The transplant will happen “as soon as we get the right match”, according to Mr Downey. “This is an opportunity to save what would otherwise be lost,” he said.