Germany to start stem cell donor register:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The German bone marrow donation register (DKMS) has teamed up with the InterCityHotel Group to build up a register of stem cell donors. The two groups are touring Germany and taking potential donors' names at major public zones, such as railway stations. The action, which began last month in Frankfurt and will end in November in Kiel, should prove an effective weapon against diseases such as leukaemia, when both chemo- and radiation therapy fail. If a genetic match is discovered, then up to a litre of stem cells could be obtained from the bone marrow of the donor under anaesthetic, usually from the pelvis, a spokesman from the DKMS confirmed to Clinica, adding that it represented only 5% of the total body volume of marrow. He also said that the DKMS was also using aphoresis to obtain stem cells.