Blood and bone marrow stem cell donation

Donating bone marrow stem cells requires agreeing to have stem cells drawn from either your blood or bone marrow to be given to someone else. This is known as a stem cell transplant, bone marrow transplant or hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Stem cells used in transplants come from three sources. These sources are the spongy tissue at the center of some bones (bone marrow), the bloodstream (peripheral blood) and umbilical cord blood from newborns. The source that's used depends on the purpose of the transplant.

Bone marrow transplants are lifesaving treatments for people with diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, other cancers or sickle cell anemia. Donated blood stem cells are needed for these transplants. You might consider donating blood or bone marrow because someone in your family needs a stem cell transplant and health care providers think you might be a match for that person. Or perhaps you want to help someone else — maybe even someone you don't know — who's waiting for a stem cell transplant. Pregnant women might consider storing the stem cells that remain in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth for their children's or someone else's future use, if needed.

If you want to donate stem cells, talk to your health care provider or contact the National Marrow Donor Program. This is a federally funded nonprofit organization that keeps a database of people willing to donate. If you decide to donate, you'll learn about the process and possible risks of donating. If you want to continue with the process, a blood or tissue sample can be used to help match you to someone who needs a stem cell transplant. You'll also be asked to sign a consent form, but you can change your mind at any time. Next comes testing for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing. HLAs are proteins found in most cells in your body. This test helps match donors and recipients. A close match increases the chances that the transplant will be a success. Donors who are matched with someone who needs a blood stem cell transplant are then tested to make sure they don't have genetic or infectious diseases. The testing helps ensure that the donation will be safe for the donor and recipient. Cells from younger donors have the best chance of success when transplanted. Health care providers prefer donors to be ages 18 to 35. Age 40 is the upper limit for joining the National Marrow Donor Program. The costs related to collecting stem cells for donation are charged to people needing transplants or their health insurance companies.