How can I find a Stem Cell Donor for a Bone Marrow Transplant in India?

Just like it is important to know the blood group or blood type (ABO) while donating blood, it is necessary to know one’s HLA type to match with a patient in need. Only if the HLA type of a potential donor matches closely with that of the patient, one can Donate Blood Stem Cells or Receive Blood Stem Cells.

A type of molecule found on the surface of most cells in the body. Human leukocyte antigens play an important part in the body’s immune response to foreign substances. They make up a person’s tissue type, which varies from person to person. Human leukocyte antigen tests are done before a donor stem cell or organ transplant, to find out if tissues match between the donor and the person receiving the transplant. Also called HLA and human lymphocyte antigen.

Each patient has only 25% probability of finding a match within their own family, rest 75% have to search in their extended family and/or in unrelated donor registries like DATRI to find a match. In an Indian population of 1.3 billion, only around four lakh people are registered as blood stem cell donors. Ethnicity plays a key role in finding a match and India has a huge diverse ethnic background.

Read more on Wikipedia