Region’s First Biobank Launched in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has collaborated with M42 to launch the Abu Dhabi Biobank, the first of its kind in the region. As part of the first stage of the Abu Dhabi Biobank, the biobank launched the region’s largest hybrid cord blood bank. 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.

Cord blood is the remains in the umbilical cord after a baby's birth. It is usually discarded, but it is rich in stem cells and can be used to treat many diseases, blood-related disorders, illnesses, immune deficiencies, genetic disorders, and stem cell transplants.

In its next phase, Abu Dhabi BioBank will include a pan-human and tumour biobank. The Biobank has the capacity to store 100,000 cord blood samples and five million pan-human samples, enabling it to support research and therapy development for up to 30 years. It holds huge potential for regenerative medicine, aiding in rare disease treatment, genetic screening, early detection, and scientific research.