Abu Dhabi Biobank launches private cord blood banking services

Abu Dhabi Biobank has launched private cord blood banking services, offering expectant families with an affordable, accessible and local way to preserve their newborns’ stem cells.

With over 60,000 transplants performed globally using stem cells from umbilical cord blood, the demand for life-saving treatment using cord blood banking is growing. However, many families are having to go without the benefits of private cord blood banking due to high cost and limited local storage options.

Abu Dhabi Biobank is changing this, offering families cord blood banking at half the cost than current market rates and teaming up with leading and fully licenced healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, including M42’s Danat Al Emarat Women’s and Children Hospital, and other facilities like Corniche Hospital and Kanad Hospital.

In addition, rather than cord blood samples being shipped and kept 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, equipped with state-of-the-art automated technology and large capacity biobanking infrastructure. This long-term storage capability guarantees that stem cells remain viable for therapeutic applications and can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

Cord blood, collected from a newborn's umbilical cord immediately after birth, is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, which can develop into various blood and immune system cells. These stem cells are instrumental in treating over 80 life-threatening diseases that have high prevalence rates in the UAE, including thalassemia (16.5 percent prevalence in the UAE), sickle cell anemia (5.8 percent), leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow disorders, immune deficiencies, and genetic conditions.

By making private cord blood banking more affordable and accessible, Abu Dhabi Biobank is eliminating financial and logistical barriers, ensuring that families have a secure, personalised medical resource for their children and potentially other family members, it increases the chances of finding a suitable stem cell match within families-siblings have a 25 percent probability of being a perfect match and a 50 percent chance of being a partial match for transplants, significantly improving treatment outcomes for genetic and blood disorders.

Commenting on the launch, Paul Downey, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Biobank, said, "This launch is a strong statement by M42 and Abu Dhabi Biobank to make personalised care affordable, accessible and local. Cord blood stem cells are a powerful defence 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 counselling, 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."

WAM