ABU DHABI (WAM)

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, witnessed the inauguration of ADSCC Bone Marrow Transplant Cellular Therapy Congress 2023 in Abu Dhabi, organised by Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC), a subsidiary of PureHealth.

In addition to meeting some of the congress international speakers and ADSCC physicians and scientists, His Highness met with five ADSCC patients including the first to receive the UAE’s first locally manufactured CAR-T Cells, and patients who underwent bone marrow transplant procedures for luekemia, krabbe disease and multiple sclerosis at ADSCC.

His Highness reviewed the latest developments and achievements of the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre and its future projects in stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine, notably the regeneration of pancreatic cells and the use of brain stem cells to treat neurological diseases, focusing on multiple sclerosis. His Highness praised the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre team's dedicated efforts, that reflects the unlimited support of UAE’s leadership.

His Highness’ support is a testament to UAE’s commitment to advancing medical research and healthcare in Abu Dhabi on a global scale.

The ceremony was attended by Mansour Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Farhan Malik, CEO of PureHealth in addition to top government officials, senior leadership from PureHealth and ADSCC, and officials from the UAE and regional healthcare sector.

Hosted by ADSCC, the congress featured more than 60 leading expert physicians, researchers, and scientists from more than 15 countries including the United States, Japan, Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, and others, who came together under a shared goal to drive innovation and collaboration in bone marrow transplant, cellular therapy, and regenerative medicine with more than 64 different scientific lectures and talks. The congress was attended by more than 1,500 healthcare professionals. The congress is considered the first-of-its-kind in the UAE and supports the vision of ADSCC towards revolutionising healthcare globally through innovation.

Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Congress President, and Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Programme (ADBMT) at ADSCC, said, “Grateful to the UAE leadership for their commitment to enhancing the healthcare sector in the country and fostering innovation in healthcare. It was a great honor for us to host the first edition of this congress here in Abu Dhabi. We are thankful for His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to the congress inauguration. During the congress, we saw interesting deliberations and have not only showcased our experiences and learnings from the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Programme (ADBMT) of ADSCC but also sat with global experts to unpack advancements in the field that promise to have long-lasting impact on the lives of patients in the UAE and globally. Sessions included challenges in treating acute leukaemia, myeloid malignancies, the recent advancements in stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, new perspectives in cancer immunotherapy, the latest in cancer targeting including tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) therapies, CAR-T cell therapy and more. Scientific conferences as such lead to significant advancements in patient care and treatment outcomes around the world. As an accredited center of excellence in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and leader in stem cell therapy and research, the congress comes as part of ADSCC mandate towards to wider medical community, offering them a platform to exchange knowledge and continue learning on global and local medical advancements.”

Dr. Yendry Ventura, CEO of ADSCC, said, “In line with our wise leadership’s directives and priorities, ADSCC plays an active role in driving medical education and research on a regional level. The visit of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan to our congress inauguration drives us to push boundaries and continue achieving strides on a global level. The congress was a huge success, hosting leading luminaries from the world of bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy right here in Abu Dhabi. The future unfolds with the promise of stem cell therapy, through unprecedented advancements in medicine and unlocking avenues for life-changing research. Participants engaged in thought-provoking case studies and ground-breaking research including our own patient experiences including the first UAE’s CAR-T Cell manufacturing and ADSCC’s ongoing clinical trials for MS and diabetes among other, which are expected to drive progress and innovation in stem cell therapy and research. We are confident that the congress will help shape the future of bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy and make a lasting difference in the lives of patients worldwide.”

The congress, accredited for up to 36 Continuous Medical Education (CME) hours to attending healthcare professionals, featured two in-parallel educational tracks, providing an open platform for education and discovery, with a focus on uncovering ground-breaking treatments for diseases such as MS, cancer, GVHD (Graft-versus-host disease) and musculoskeletal disorders.

Highlighting the power of cellular therapy and bone marrow transplant, ADSCC also shared stories of patients’ journeys to recovery. Abdullahi Rodhile, the first patient to receive UAECell19 treatment during COVID-19 pandemic, shared his story of renewed hope while Fatima Habboub spoke about how she was able to walk independently following her successful bone marrow transplant to treat MS at ADSCC. Abdulrahman Aljaberi was the first Emirati patient to undergo a bone marrow transplant for leukemia few years ago, while three-month old Fatmah defied the odds through a successful bone marrow transplant to treat Krabbe disease, a very rare genetic disease. Murad Alhalabi, diagnosed with leukemia for the second time, shared the excitement for his future after becoming UAE’s first CAR-T cell therapy patient.

The ADSCC Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Congress 2023 was also proud to host the National MS Society UAE, a leading organisation advocating for and improving the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), which was attended by more than 70 individuals. Following the success of the ADSCC Bone Marrow Transplant Cellular Therapy Congress 2023, ADSCC has announced the second edition of the event on 26th and 27th October 2024.