Abu Dhabi Biobank, a collaboration between Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and M42, has unveiled private cord blood banking services, providing expectant families with an affordable, accessible and local way to preserve their newborns’ stem cells.
As the demand for life-saving treatments using cord blood banking grows, Abu Dhabi Biobank addresses this need by providing accessible and reliable option.
Abu Dhabi Biobank provides cord blood banking at half the cost than current market rates and is working with leading and fully licensed healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, including M42’s Danat Al Emarat Women’s and Children Hospital, and other facilities such as Corniche Hospital and Kanad Hospital.
Rather than shipping and keeping cord blood samples abroad, Abu Dhabi Biobank will be preserving samples locally, safely and securely for up to 30 years at its cord blood banking facility in Masdar City, which is equipped with cutting-edge automated technology and large capacity biobanking infrastructure.
This long-term storage capability ensures that stem cells remain viable for therapeutic applications and can be easily accessed from anywhere in the world.
Paul Downey General Manager – Abu Dhabi Biobank
“This launch is a strong statement by M42 and Abu Dhabi Biobank to make personalized care affordable, accessible and local. Cord blood stem cells are a powerful defense against disease but are often discarded as medical waste due to barriers. With Abu Dhabi Biobank’s private cord blood banking service, we are breaking those barriers down by offering a timely and accessible solution for those battling a disease that can be treated with stem cells; or, those with a family history of medical disorders; or, those facing limited donor availability. With flexible payment plans, advanced biobanking technology, and additional benefits like newborn screening and genetic counseling, we are proud to be making a significant leap toward personalized and preventive healthcare and look forward to working with our partners on raising awareness levels about the power of the umbilical cord to fight disease.”
Cord blood, collected from a newborn’s umbilical cord immediately after birth, is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, capable of developing into various blood and immune system cells. These stem cells play a key role in treating over 80 life-threatening diseases that have high prevalence rates in the UAE, such as thalassemia, leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow disorders, immune deficiencies, and genetic conditions.
