The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made a major advancement to develop an innovative and treatment for COVID-19 infection using stem cells, a government official has announced.

“It could be a game-changer in the global fight against the virus”, Director of UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hend Al Otaiba said in a statement.

The official termed the technique developed by Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) as “breakthrough treatment for Covid-19.”

The treatment method regenerates lung cells and prevents the immune system from overreacting. The treatment involves the extraction of stem cells from a patient’s own blood and reintroducing them into the lungs via inhalation of a mist.

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

This innovative treatment was administered to 73 coronavirus patients who have each gone on to recover completely from the disease. Many of the trial patients were moderately to severely ill prior to treatment, and many were in an intensive care unit, according to the official.

More trials are being conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment and expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.

The UAE reported more than 110 deaths due to the virus while 2,543 patients have recovered so far. And, more than 13,000 cases have been detected in the country.