ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

Abu Dhabi Biobank, a strategic initiative between the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and M42, has launched a one-of-a-kind oncology collaboration with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, marking an important step forward in strengthening cancer research and care in the UAE and across the wider region.

The collaboration will begin collecting and preserving cancer-related samples within the Biobank, enabling their use in research to deepen understanding of the disease and support the development of more personalised approaches and treatments.

At the heart of the collaboration are cancer patients from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Fatima bint Mubarak Centre. They are invited, on a voluntary basis, to contribute blood and tumour tissue samples collected during their routine medical visits. With informed patient consent, these samples are securely transferred to Abu Dhabi Biobank, where they are processed, stored, and protected under rigorous ethical and governance frameworks to support future research.

This first-of-its-kind initiative in the UAE connects everyday clinical practice in cancer care with the capabilities of the bank, enabling these samples to become a valuable resource that supports the development of more personalised approaches to cancer care. This includes cancer-related biological samples in the development of patient-derived organoids, which are laboratory models created from tumour tissue and used to study responses to different treatments before they are applied to patients.

The collaboration covers all types of cancers, from common cancers such as breast cancer to more complex cancers, including pancreatic and other cancers.

The study includes somatic sequencing of tumour tissue for all participants who volunteer during the pilot, establishing a one-of-a-kind resource where germline, somatic, and discovery models will exist centrally, supporting the way cancer research is conducted and improving our understanding of how tumours evolve, develop resistance to treatment, and respond to personalised therapies.

Paul Downey, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Biobank, said: “This collaboration demonstrates how a national biobank and a world-class hospital can work together to create lasting public value. By responsibly safeguarding patient samples and associated health data over time, we are building a resource that enables researchers to better understand cancer as it affects so many people across the world, while ensuring trust, transparency and long-term societal benefit remain at the core of everything we do. Oncology innovation is the engine behind predictive and personalised medicine and is vital to enabling sustainable, high-impact therapeutic interventions.”

Dr Stephen R. Grobmyer, Surgical Oncologist and Institute Chief, Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: “This partnership enables us to make use of samples collected throughout the cancer care journey to support research that better reflects the needs of patients in the region. By connecting clinical care with scientific research, we aim to deepen our understanding of how cancer develops, progresses and responds to treatment, supporting more personalised care and improved treatment outcomes for patients. The project will also help provide research samples from people in the region, strengthening their representation in cancer research on a broader scale.”

By advancing research in these areas, the initiative aims to support earlier detection, more effective interventions, and ultimately, improve patient outcomes and save lives.

Fatima bint Mubarak Centre, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s dedicated, integrated and stand-alone cancer centre, contributes its deep clinical expertise, trusted relationships with patients and internationally recognised care. Recently designated by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi as an Oncology Centre of Excellence for Breast Cancer, the hospital builds on its strong track record of advancing cancer research and innovation through this collaboration.

This includes becoming the first centre in the GCC to participate in a groundbreaking therapeutic breast cancer clinical trial with AstraZeneca. The hospital is also set to establish the Middle East’s first heavy ion therapy facility, expanding access to one of the world’s most advanced forms of radiation therapy, and making it the only centre of its kind within a five-hour flight radius of the UAE.

Abu Dhabi Biobank provides the national infrastructure required to securely manage biological samples and data across decades. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi Biobank has the capacity to store five million pan-human samples, linked to human health data, to create diverse, foundational bio-assets that enable healthcare outcomes and medical research.

The partnership is founded on ethical, high-quality research that is directly relevant to real-world patient needs and will accelerate clinical trials in the region, building an infrastructure that fuels translational cancer care from diagnosis to cure.

Together, the collaboration will reinforce Abu Dhabi’s ambition to be a regional leader in advanced healthcare and biomedical research, while ensuring that patients’ voluntary contributions translate into long-term knowledge, innovation and public good.