Latest: UAE medics to ramp up new stem cell trials after encouraging results
The UAE has developed an aerosol medication that has shown promising results in the treatment of Covid-19.
Developed by a team of doctors and researchers at Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre, it was administered to 73 coronavirus patients who have each gone on to recover.
On Friday, the Ministry of Economy said it had granted a patent to the centre to develop the treatment using stem cells.
It involves extracting stem cells from the patient’s blood and reintroducing them after "activating" them. The patent was granted for the method in which the stem cells are collected.
After it has been nebulised into a fine mist, the treatment is inhaled into the lungs of a patient.
Researchers believe it has a therapeutic effect caused by regeneration of lung cells.
It is also thought to modulate the immune response to keep it from overreacting to the Covid-19 infection and causing further damage to healthy cells.
The treatment has successfully undergone the initial phase of clinical trials, demonstrating its safety.
None of the patients who were treated with the mist reported immediate adverse effects, officials said.
Trials to demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment are ongoing and expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.
In the absence of a vaccine or proven cure, measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus include staying at home and social distancing to reduce the burden of the disease on the healthcare system.
Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre is a specialist healthcare centre that focuses on cell therapy, regenerative medicine and cutting-edge research.
UAE leaders hail development
The UAE's leaders thanked the team of doctors who developed the treatment.
President Sheikh Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said the doctors' efforts will add to the global efforts to fight the pandemic.
The country will continue to take proactive measures to ensure safety of its citizens, residents and visitors, they said, adding that people's health and safety are given top priority.
Special tribute was paid to front-line healthcare professionals, including nurses, doctors, and paramedics.
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Medical staff inside a Covid-19 screening centre at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Reuters -
A healthcare worker tests a man for Covid-19 at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Reuters -
A health worker examines a sample taken from a labourer in the Al Quoz district of Dubai. The UAE has significantly increased testing for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. AFP -
A medic takes samples from a worker at a testing centre in Al Quoz. AFP -
A man wearing a protective mask has his body temperature reading taken upon arriving at the police station in Naif. AFP -
An employee wears a protective face mask and shield while collecting carts outside a Lulu hypermarket in Dubai. Bloomberg -
A man, wearing a protective mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, has his temperature taken at the Ibn Battuta centre in Dubai. AFP -
Frontline workers, such as medics leading the fight against Covid-19, are being recognised in the UAE. Reuters
