For large numbers of people with deadly diseases, the hope of recovery soon is growing thanks to a growing societal awareness of the importance of storing umbilical blood units, extracted from the placenta, for use in treating incurable diseases.

The Dubai Health Authority confirmed to "Emirates Today" that the number of umbilical cord blood units stored in the Dubai Umbilical Center last year increased to about 7000 units, compared to 507 units in 2007.

The authority succeeded in treating 19 patients using stem cells extracted from the stored units, their diseases varied between thalassemia and leukemia and a number of genetic blood diseases.

The head of the cord blood donation department, the clinical researcher at the center, Dr. Fatima Al Hashemi, attributed the increasing number of people coming to storing their units, to the high level of awareness of the importance of this procedure in the long run.

She stressed the need for all members of society to recognize the importance of saving samples of their own stem cells, or donating them to others, because they contribute to treating more than 80 diseases linked to blood diseases, cancers and immune diseases.

Al-Hashemi explained that the center recorded about 9000 samples, but he accepted 7,000 of them and stored them, and the rest refused to not conform to international standards, stressing that the center does not accept storing samples if they are not of high quality, to ensure their suitability when requested for future use, especially as their storage continues for more than 30 Year.

And she added that storage and acceptance of samples are limited to women who give birth only within the country.

According to the center’s statistics, 19 cases of umbilical cord blood stem cells have benefited from their diseases, including thalassemia, leukemia and other hereditary blood diseases.

Al-Hashemi confirmed that, since its establishment in 2006, the center has contributed to achieving recovery opportunities for many patients.

The center undertakes the task of collecting, extracting and storing stem cells from umbilical cord blood, spreading awareness of the importance of stem cell storage, and organizing workshops for medical and medical cadres supporting the identification of correct methods for collecting blood samples that meet the conditions of storage, in addition to examining the tissue conformity to see the extent of congruence between the unit of stem cells extracted Of umbilical cord blood and the patient desiring to benefit from it.

Al-Hashemi pointed out that there are special criteria and conditions for storing cells, the most important of which is the lack of blood clotting, the absence of an infectious disease in the donor mother or the presence of deformity in the child, in addition to the need for the blood unit to be unidentified or free from the information of the donor mother, as well as the importance of not being a quantity The blood extracted is less than the required amount, and the cells are also not stored if they are few in number.

She emphasized that the storage of samples is available to all citizens and residents within the state, and the center guarantees complete confidentiality of the donors.

She indicated that the center implemented awareness-raising campaigns for mothers in the primary health centers and Latifa Hospital. And the launch of "The Treasure of Life" program last year, which aims to educate mothers and society about the importance of storing umbilical cord blood.

Al-Hashemi stated that the center has a number of nitrogen incubators for keeping blood units, for about 30 years, without damage or impact, noting that the beneficiaries of the samples are individuals who are histologically identical to the cord blood unit.

The center set a storage fee, to be for families and relatives of 9000 dirhams, free of charge for donors, while a registration fee of 1,000 non-refundable dirhams will be obtained, and processing and storage fees will cost 8000 dirhams and 2000 dirhams to check the tissue match.

7000

A unit stored in the Dubai Umbilical Center, last year.

"The center has a number of nitrogen incubators for keeping blood units for 30 years."