Becoming a blood stem cell or bone marrow donor …

Why is there a need for donors of blood stem cells and bone marrow? In the majority of cases, if a person needs a blood stem cell transplant or bone marrow transplant they will need a donor. That donor has to be genetically similar to the patient. Why? Because if the donor cells are not a close match to the patient's cells, the donor cells will see the patient's cells as "foreigners." The donor cells will then tell the patient's immune system to attack the tissues in the patient's body. This can cause a serious complication called graft-versus-host disease. How is a stem cell "match" determined? To be a "match," the donor cells and the patient's cells need to be well-matched or compatible with each other. What follows is a technical explanation of how we go about finding donor cells that match those of the patient.

Human Leukocyte Antigens HLA are proteins on the surface of the white blood cells and other body tissues. If they match, the donor stem cells are less likely to trigger a defensive attack by the immune system on the patient's body tissues.

Some people have a family member who is an HLA match, such as a sister or brother. But many people do not have a relative who is a match. That means they must search for a donor. The donor can be someone who is unrelated to them. Or the donor stem cells can come from umbilical cord blood that has been frozen in a cord blood bank.

How can you become a donor?

If you would like to become a blood or marrow transplant (BMT) donor, your HLA typing can be done through a donor registry. The information about your tissue type is stored, along with your name and contact information, in a confidential donor database. If someone who needs a BMT matches your HLA type, you may be called to see if you want to come in for further testing. If testing shows that you are a match, you can donate blood stem cells or bone marrow to the patient in need.

You must be in good health to be a donor. This is true whether you are a family member or an unrelated donor. Age requirements will vary depending on if you are donating stem cells for a family member, or as an unrelated donor.

Why are more minority donors needed? Patients who need a BMT are more likely to match an unrelated donor who has the same ethnic or racial background. However, according to the National Marrow Donor Program, there are not enough potential minority donors in the Be The Match donor registry to meet the needs of minority patients. With thousands of patients in need of BMT, more donors of all ethnic backgrounds are needed. Learn more about the need for minority donors.

What about donating umbilical cord blood?In the past, umbilical cords were simply thrown away after a baby was born. Now we know that umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells. In fact, researchers have found that there is less need for a perfect HLA tissue match when umbilical cord blood is used for a transplant.

Not all hospitals collect umbilical cord blood. If you would like to consider donating your baby's umbilical cord blood, check with your local hospital to see if that is possible. Find out even more about umbilical cord blood donation.

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Becoming a blood stem cell or bone marrow donor ...