Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre doctors have developed this medicine; the treatment was administered to 73 coronavirus patients who have each gone on to recover completely from the disease

DNA

ISLAMABAD (DNA) 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, the treatment was administered to 73 coronavirus patients who have each gone on to recover completely from the disease.

On Friday, the Ministry of Economy revealed it had granted a patent to the centre to develop the treatment using stem cells.

The treatment 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. The treatment 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 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 expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.

Non-pharmacological interventions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 including staying at home, social distancing as well as infection prevention and control measures remain necessary to reduce the burden of the disease on the healthcare system, authorities said.

Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre is a specialist healthcare centre that focuses on cell therapy, regenerative medicine and cutting-edge research on stem cells.