ABU DHABI: A local newspaper has said that when bold new technologies present the community with fresh ways of thinking about disease, treatment and longevity, they can make the leap from the world of advanced science into popular consciousness. This week in Abu Dhabi, there were some compelling examples of this process at work as well as some glimpses of the future of advanced healthcare.
‘Launched at Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week, a groundbreaking biobank that is expected to open next year in the capital’s Masdar City looks set to become a cornerstone of medical research in the UAE,’ The National said in its editorial on Wednesday.
The state-of-the-art centre, spanning 2,000 square metres, will house the largest collection of human biological materials in the region, including blood samples, saliva and cell samples. It will be able to store up to five million biological samples and 100,000 stem cells.
The editorial added, ‘Its implications are profound. Research published in November last year found t
hat although Arabs represent 5 per cent of the world’s population and have a high prevalence of common diseases, they remain greatly under-represented in global drug trials and genome studies; this means missed opportunities for disease prevention and discovery.
‘The biobank – a collaboration between tech-based health company M42 and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health – aims to address this dangerous data gap and rectify the imbalances and inequalities that persist when it comes to medical research for the Arab world. But although this innovation is new, it is also just the latest contribution to the genetic research that has been taking place in the UAE for years.’
The country has long recognised the potential for improved health that can come from a deep understanding of human genetics. The Dubai-based Centre for Arab Genomic Studies has operated for 20 years (almost from the time the human genome was first mapped) and last year the UAE launched its National Genome Strategy to map the DNA of every Emirati
as the country seeks to provide personalised medical care for its citizens.
The biobank project and ‘genomic passports’ that can identify an individual’s genetic health risks will not just benefit Emiratis but other Arab populations, too. It is a significant indicator of the importance the Emirates is placing on AI and high-level tech to re-write the script on health.
Genome passports and biobanks operating among a mappable population like the UAE’s can contribute to this rethinking of what medicine can be – a change from sudden action to deal with acute illnesses to one that is preventive in nature. However, there are ethical and data issues to consider.
Speaking to The National, Albarah Elkhani, senior vice president at M42, emphasised the importance of informed consent from patients for cord-blood banking and hospital collections, with samples to be used ethically for research purposes. He is right to do so because ethics and responsible regulation will be critical to the success of technologically driv
en healthcare and its acceptance by the public.
‘Oversight must keep pace with technical developments – and given the speed with which AI and other innovations are expanding, this will be a major challenge. But as tech-driven healthcare continues to move from the realm of science fiction into reality, the potential benefits are immense,’ the Abu Dhabi-based daily concluded.
Source: Emirates News Agency
