Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre performs 100 bone marrow transplants

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC) has performed 100 bone marrow transplants, also known as haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, since the launch of its Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Programme (AD-BMT).

As the first Centre of Excellence in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation accredited by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, this accomplishment reflects ADSCC's role in bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy on a national level, offering life-saving treatments to patients with different types of blood cancer, genetic diseases such as thalassaemia and Krabbe, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

ADSCC performed the UAE's first bone marrow transplantation for a patient with multiple myeloma in 2020, the Middle East's first bone marrow transplant for a patient with multiple sclerosis in 2022, the first UAE first bone marrow transplant for a patient with thalassaemia in 2023, and the first UAE transplant for a three-month old baby with Krabbe disease (a rare genetic disorder). In addition, ADSCC manufactured the first CAR-T Cell Therapy in the UAE and the Middle East in 2023, launching this technology locally to eliminate the need to travel abroad for complex care.

With consistent positive outcomes, the AD-BMT programme achieved successful engraftment rates with no GVHD incidence, and survival rates on par with international standards. Bone marrow transplant programmes measure various indicators for success including survival rates within 100 days of transplant and one year post transplant, all which ADSCC has met. Such achievements were also complemented with ADSCC's recent accreditation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), the first cellular therapy product processing laboratory in the UAE to reach this milestone.

Professor Yendry Ventura, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre and Adjunct Professor at United Arab Emirates University, said: "Guided by the UAE's visionary leadership and aligned with the national agenda, we've introduced bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy in the UAE a few years ago, providing care for the most critically ill patients in the country and the region. Building on the programme's success and increased demand, ADSCC launched CAR-T Cell Therapy, offering patients a wider spectrum of innovative care. We are proud to be among the few centres in the region offering this highly advanced level of care, capable of treating many patients with life-threatening diseases and eliminating their need to travel abroad for care. With our positive clinical outcomes, the programme's impact extends to the broader medical community by setting new standards in transplant care and adopting innovations that enhance patient outcomes."

Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Programme at Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre, and Director General of Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) said: "Bone marrow transplantation is a critical therapeutic intervention for patients with haematologic malignancies and other severe disorders. As a haematologist, it is incredibly gratifying to witness the profound impact our AD-BMT programme has had on patients and their families throughout the UAE and the region. Reaching the milestone of 100 transplants mostly in the past two years highlights the groundbreaking advancements and patient-focused care we are pioneering. The programme's success has been demonstrated by the positive survival rates, reduced relapse rates, and enhanced quality of life post-transplant. These outcomes have been supported by rigorous preclinical and clinical research, optimised conditioning regimens, and advancements in donor matching and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Moreover, the extensive data collected from our patients provides valuable insights into disease mechanisms, immune reconstitution, and long-term survivorship, further improving our protocols and expanding the applicability of this life-saving treatment."

In 24 months, ADSCC performed over 70 autologous and allogenic bone marrow transplants at its comprehensive hospital in Abu Dhabi for patients with leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, and more than 20 for patients with multiple sclerosis, Krabbe diseases, thalassaemia and other genetic diseases. Out of the 100, almost 20 were children as young as three months old to 18 years old.

Moreover, ADSCC is conducting various research and clinical studies related to adoptive cell transfer (ACT), which are considered innovative treatments in the field of immunotherapy. This therapy involves using modified immune cells to fight cancer. The treatment relies on extracting immune cells from the patient's body, then modifying or enhancing them in the laboratory, and subsequently reintroducing them into the patient's body to boost the immune system's response against cancer, genetic and neurological disorders, and various autoimmune diseases.