Abu Dhabi Biobank, a strategic initiative between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and M42, has partnered with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to strengthen cancer research and improve personalised cancer care in the UAE and the wider region. The collaboration will involve collecting and preserving cancer-related biological samples to support research into the disease and the development of more targeted treatments.
The initiative will involve patients receiving care at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Fatima bint Mubarak Center, who may voluntarily donate blood and tumour tissue samples during routine medical visits. With informed consent, the samples will be transferred to Abu Dhabi Biobank for secure processing and storage under established ethical and governance frameworks.
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The collaboration will cover various cancers, including breast and pancreatic cancer. It will also include tumour tissue sequencing and the development of patient-derived organoids, laboratory models created from tumour tissue that can help researchers study how cancers respond to different treatments. These resources aim to improve understanding of tumour development, treatment resistance and individual responses to personalised therapies.
Paul Downey, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Biobank, said: “This collaboration demonstrates how a national biobank and a world-class hospital can work together to create lasting public value. By responsibly safeguarding patient samples and associated health data over time, we are building a resource that enables researchers to better understand cancer as it affects so many people across the world, while ensuring trust, transparency and long-term societal benefit remain at the core of everything we do. Oncology innovation is the engine behind predictive and personalised medicine and is vital to enabling sustainable, high-impact therapeutic interventions.”
By connecting clinical care with scientific research, the partnership seeks to support earlier detection, more effective interventions and improved patient outcomes. It will also help strengthen the representation of patients from the region in cancer research, supporting studies that better reflect local patient needs.
Abu Dhabi Biobank provides infrastructure for the long-term preservation of biological samples and associated health data, with a stated capacity to store five million samples. The collaboration supports Abu Dhabi’s ambition to advance biomedical research, accelerate clinical trials and strengthen its position as a regional centre for innovative cancer care.
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Dr Stephen R. Grobmyer, Surgical Oncologist and Institute Chief, Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: “This partnership enables us to make use of samples collected throughout the cancer care journey to support research that better reflects the needs of patients in the region. By connecting clinical care with scientific research, we aim to deepen our understanding of how cancer develops, progresses and responds to treatment, supporting more personalised care and improved treatment outcomes for patients. The project will also help provide research samples from people in the region, strengthening their representation in cancer research on a broader scale.”
