30,000 stem cell donors needed

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/i...-donors-needed

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — The Malaysian Marrow Donor Registry needs a minimum 30,000 registered stem cell donors to aid hospitals in stem cell transplants.

Currently, the registry has approximately 14,300 volunteer donors and more are needed for successful compatibility match-ups between donor and the patient recipient.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre haemotologist and transplant physician consultant Prof Dr S. Fadilah Abdul Wahid said, while the registry had been operating for nine years, there had not been a successful marrow transplant match-up.

“Successful allogenic (donor to recipient) transplants always occurred between family members, especially siblings.

“However, due to our very heterogenous society, even between siblings, there could only be a 20 to 30 per cent compatibility. So, we need more donors to ensure greater probability of stem cell compatibility,” she told a press conference after the forum on stem cell transplants here today.