Stem cell research 'a possibility' in UAE

Dubai: Research into stem cells may have found a new home in the Harvard Medical School Dubai Centre.

Dr Robert Thurer, chief academic officer at Harvard Medical School Dubai Centre (HMSDC), told Gulf News that researchers at the Harvard facilities may delve into stem cell research as part of its research into diseases and disorders afflicting the Gulf.

"We will go into anything of importance to the region. In the Gulf, it is diabetes and genetic disorders. Stem cell research is a possibility," he said, after chairing the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research symposium on Sunday night.

He said the region's ethics and sensitivities would determine whether there would be any stem cell research at HMSDC and if so, how it will be conducted.

"It's not our ethics but the ethics of the region that we will follow," he said.

He added the DMSDC would have its own medical ethics review board, comprising Harvard scientists and local experts.

Stem cell research is widely believed to be mankind's best bet in developing life-saving therapies for neuro-degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes.