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LIFE de INDIA!
Stem Cell Donor Registry
Information for potential Blood Stem Cells donors
Stem Cell (Bone Marrow) Transplants are used to treat many life-threatening disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma, certain other cancers, aplastic anemia, radiation injury, certain immune system disorders and genetic disorders including thalassemia.
Stem cells are found in the bone marrow, circulating blood or umbilical cord. Today the preferred method of stem cell collection is by a blood donation process called apheresis. So we use the term Blood Stem Cells instead of calling it bone marrow.
Are you willing to help them
Sign up as a Blood Stem Cell donor with Stem Cell Registry-India
Q. What are Blood Stem Cells?
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Blood Stem Cells are cells found in the bone marrow which produce platelets, white & red blood cells. They used to be collected from the hipbone by a surgical procedure, which is why it is called Bone Marrow Transplantation. They are also collected from the umbilical cord of the newborn baby and stored frozen in a Cord Blood Bank |
Today Blood Stem Cells are collected by the Apheresis blood donation procedure
During Apheresis, blood stem cells alone will be separated and removed with the help of a machine and the rest of the blood will be returned to you. It is a very safe process carried out at the blood centre & takes about one & a half hours. |
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Q. What is a "Stem Cell Registry”?
It is a databank of people who register as voluntary Blood Stem Cell Donors. It is not easy to get a donor with an exact tissue match.
The larger the registry, the greater the possibility of finding an exact match.
Most countries have such Registries to help patients find a tissue-matched donor. India still does not! To meet the needs of these patients, a registry of voluntary donors is being set up. This is an initiative of selected Rotary and other voluntary blood banks in India along with the Armed Forces medical services, modeled after NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program of USA) and other International Registries.
One of the participating centres is the Rotary TTK Blood Bank, Bangalore Medical Services Trust, which has established a reputation over the years for the highest quality blood banking services.
Q. What happens when you sign up with the “Stem Cell Registry – India”?
 A blood sample will be drawn to test for your Tissue type.
Your contact information and Tissue Type will be stored on our Stem Cell Registry database.
The Registry will be searched to find a donor with the perfect tissue-match for patients needing stem cell (bone marrow) transplants.
You will be given an injection daily for 5 days prior to donation to increase the number of blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow and bring them into the circulating blood.
You may have headache, bone or muscular pain as a side effect of the injection, but this will disappear shortly after donation.
Q. How do I sign up?
- To be eligible to join the registry you should be over 18 yrs of age and under 60 yrs, in good health & weigh over 55kg.
- If your have any of the following risk factors for either HIV / AIDS or Hepatitis, you cannot be a stem cell donor:
- ever tested positive for HIV, Hepatitis B or C;
- in the past 5 years had unsafe sex or intravenous drug abuse.
- You have to fill up the Stem Cell Registry Donor Form.
- You should have the commitment to remain on the registry until age 60 & notify the registry if you have a change in contact information or a major change in long-term health.
- We have one more request. Tissue Typing costs a lot (Rs.6,000 per test) Could you also consider a donation to cover partly or in full the cost of your own Tissue Typing? For those donors who cannot pay for their own Tissue Typing, we’ll look for other funding sources.
Q. Are there any benefits for the donor?
No, but for the patient it is the difference between Life & Death!!
Click here to download the Donor Forms
They are also available at:
To know more about international registries visit:
“National Marrow Donor Program”, www.nmdp.org or
“Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide”, www.bmdw.org
Whether or not you join the Registry you can use our services at any time.
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