A stem cell centre in Abu Dhabi is on a mission to become a regional hub in the treatment of diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and end-stage organ failure.
Scientists at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre are working around the clock to use stem cells for repairing and regenerating organs.
Speaking to The National, Dr Yendry Ventura, Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre chief executive, and Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, executive director of Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant, believe this is just the “tip of the iceberg", with the procedure expected to start within five to six years.
"My ambition is a world in which we don’t have to wait many years for a donor to give me a kidney while I am attached to a machine," said Dr Ventura.
"It could mean the end of patients getting as far as organ failure."
Stem cells are produced by bone marrow and can be turned into different types of blood cells.
A stem cell or bone marrow transplant replaces damaged blood cells with healthier ones. The procedure is often used to treat conditions affecting blood cells, including leukaemia and lymphoma.
UAE is advancing in stem cell therapy
The UAE has made significant strides in stem cell therapy, which is viewed as key to enhancing health care, particularly in cancer treatment and life expectancy.
In 2022, the UAE successfully completed a bone-marrow transplant by using longer-term cryogenic freezing of healthy cells.
Dr Al Kaabi helped launch the bone marrow transplant programme at ADSCC, which is owned by the PureHealth group, in 2020.
The centre aims to perform at least 60 bone marrow transplants each year.
This is a medical milestones for the UAE "but what is yet to come, is unimaginable,” Dr Ventura said.
“Bone marrow transplants or Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation doesn’t necessarily mean that the stem cells are curing the disease," said Dr Ventura.
"It is a way to repair or regenerate bone marrow that has been affected by chemotherapy.
"So technically what we are doing is regenerating the bone marrow.”
There are three types of transplants:
- Autologous – where the donor is the patient
- Allogeneic – where the stem cells are from a donor who shares the same genetic type as the patient
- Syngeneic – where stem cells from an identical twin are used
If stem cells are used to regenerate organs without rejection from the body, it could put an end to many of the most common diseases, which occur when cells or whole organs fail to do their job, he added.
“We want to take it a step forward and use stem cells for the regeneration of tissues and organs such kidneys or a liver or a pancreas,” said Dr Ventura.
“We want to think how a donor can help us repair a kidney – this is one of our capital projects – kidney regeneration – creating artificial organs outside the body from stem cells.
“We are getting closer and closer to tissue regeneration, but we have a lot of challenges.
"There are many ethical pathways that we need to follow and respect in terms of harvesting stem cells and in terms of consent of donors and so forth, but the good news is that it is possible and that we getting there."
Currently, in the UAE there are strict regulations for the use of any form of stem cells other than a person’s own or those belonging to a matching related donor.
“The use of stem cells from different sources should be studied further to allow us to answer unanswered questions such as the scientific causes of miscarriages or unprovoked abortions," Dr Al Kaabi said.
"We are making a statement and pushing for it as a scientific and ethical perspective to apply it in the right set up and the right regulations – if there is a potential of using any type of cell for the advancement of humankind then I am an advocate for it."
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 819hp
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UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
SERIES INFO
Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16
UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
