1. What is Bone Marrow (BMT) or Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT)?

This is a method of treatment in which damaged bone marrow (stem cell) of a patient is replaced by normal bone marrow (stem cell) from a healthy person. This is the only way to cure for some blood cancers and blood related diseases. Both BMT and SCT are different terminologies for same process.
The chance of finding matched donor in one’s family is around 30%. So in most of the situations, one has to depend on unrelated donors.
In one of the stem cell registry in the UK, out of 500,000 donors, they could make more than 1,000 matches yearly.

2. What is the most important criterion forblood stem cell donation?

Donor must have HLA typematched to the patient

3. What is HLA?

HLAs are protein markers found on all cells in our body. If these proteins do not match between recipient and donor, BMT may not be successful.

4. How do I know my HLA type?

Your HLA can be typed by testing saliva collected by cheek swab.Blood test is not necessary for this. In our donor registration drive we test saliva by cheek swab.

5. How do I know my HLA type is a match with another person? Once your HLA is typed, Blood Stem Cell Donor Registry keeps

your details confidentially. When a transplant Centre request for a donor for their patient, registry can check whether your HLA type is a match. If that is the case, Registry will contact you to ask whether you are willing to donate that patient. Your HLA details will be kept very confidential and will not be transferred to any hospitals without your consent.