The Ministry of Economy has granted a patent for developing an innovative and promising treatment for COVID-19. The new treatment, developed by the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center, uses stem cells to treat infection.
How Is It Done?
The treatment involves extracting stem cells from the patient’s own blood and reintroducing them after activating them. The patent was granted for the innovative method in which the stem cells are collected.
The treatment was administered in the UAE to 73 COVID-19 patients. And fortunately, they have all been successfully treated and cured of the virus. The treatment was inhaled into their lungs after it was nebulized into a fine mist. It is hypothesized to have its therapeutic effect by regenerating lung cells and modulating 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 have received the treatment reported immediate adverse effects and there have been no interactions found with the conventional treatment protocols for COVID-19 patients. Trials to demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment are ongoing and are expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.
The treatment has been given to patients along with the conventional medical intervention and will continue to be applied as an adjunct to established treatment protocols rather than as a replacement.
This treatment is an effort by the UAE government to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, other restrictions like staying at home, and social distancing remain in place to reduce the burden of the healthcare system.
First Published: May 02, 2020 11:54 PM