{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,16]],"date-time":"2026-02-16T18:44:35Z","timestamp":1771267475429,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,28]],"date-time":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1643328000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Clinics and Practice"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is increasingly indicated for various malignant and non-malignant diseases. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), patients that could benefit from the procedure commonly need to seek medical care abroad in view of the lack of a comprehensive HSCT facility that could offer the full spectrum of interventions and monitoring protocols. This comes with considerable challenges related to coverage and logistics of travel. It also limits the continuity of clinical care, and presents inconvenience to patients who come from a different cultural background. In this article, we share our experiences and lessons learned during the establishment of the first comprehensive adult and pediatric HSCT unit in the UAE that is designed to cater for local citizens and residents, as well as neighboring countries facing similar availability challenges.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/clinpract12010010","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,29]],"date-time":"2022-01-29T01:41:59Z","timestamp":1643420519000},"page":"84-90","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Establishment of the First Comprehensive Adult and Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Unit in the United Arab Emirates: Rising to the Challenge"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Humaid O.","family":"Al-Shamsi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Emirates Oncology Society, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amin","family":"Abyad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Panayotis","family":"Kaloyannidis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Adult Hematology and SCT Department, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam 32253, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amro","family":"El-Saddik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahmad","family":"Alrustamani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ibrahim","family":"Abu Gheida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Emirates Oncology Society, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Azzam","family":"Ziade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Emirates Oncology Society, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Norbert W.","family":"Dreier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Emirates Oncology Society, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Urfan","family":"Ul-Haq","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Emirates Oncology Society, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thanda Lucy Ann","family":"Joshua","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Emirates Oncology Society, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abdul Rahman","family":"El Kinge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NMC Royal Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ritika","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dima","family":"Ibrahim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mehdi","family":"Afrit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bilal","family":"Al-Lababidi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zainul","family":"Aabideen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mayur","family":"Sabhani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rakeshkumar","family":"Shah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ghaith","family":"Makhlouf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lana","family":"Iskandaerani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Faryal","family":"Iqbal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shiny","family":"Narayanan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Ameen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Theresa","family":"Morrison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab 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