Imagine that someone very close to you, perhaps a family member or friend, has been diagnosed with a serious blood cancer like Leukemia. None of us like to hear about such a thing, right? But if that happens, you may be the only hope to save that person's life. Yes, you can give them the gift of life. That most precious gift is blood stem cell donation. Let's talk about this from the beginning, very simply.
What is blood stem cell donation?
Simply put, blood stem cell donation is the process of taking this special type of cell from a healthy person and transplanting it into a sick person. These stem cells are the "master cells" in our bodies. This means that they can develop into any type of cell in our blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets .
Every year, thousands of people die from serious diseases like leukemia. In such patients, the stem cells in their bone marrow are destroyed or do not function properly. Then, stem cells taken from a healthy person are given to the patient and made to produce new healthy blood cells in their body. This is called a stem cell transplant.
A person can donate these cells as part of their own treatment, help a close family member, or even register as a donor to save the life of someone they have never met, somewhere in the world.
Why would someone need these stem cells?
Stem cell transplants can be especially beneficial for people with certain types of blood cancers and other blood-related conditions. In this procedure, doctors remove damaged stem cells from the patient's body and replace them with healthy stem cells. The new cells then grow and begin to make healthy blood cells.
Below are some of the main medical conditions treated with stem cell transplants.
| Condition | A simple explanation |
|---|---|
| Aplastic anemia | A condition in which the body stops producing new blood cells. |
| Leukemia | A cancer that occurs in the blood and bone marrow. |
| Multiple myeloma | A cancer that affects the plasma cells of the blood. |
| Myelodysplastic syndrome | Inability of the bone marrow to produce healthy blood cells. |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | Cancer of the lymphatic system. |
| Sickle cell anemia | A disease in which the shape of red blood cells changes and their function is impaired. |
How do you find this 'match'?
This is the most important and difficult part of the process. You can't just take stem cells from someone and give them to someone else. There has to be a good match between the cells of the two people.
Doctors check for this match by checking for something called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) . Think of this HLA as a special 'barcode' on every cell in our body. Our immune system looks at this barcode to determine whether "this is my own cell" or "this is something foreign."
In a stem cell transplant, the HLA barcode of the donor and recipient must be as similar as possible. Only then will the recipient's body accept the new cells without rejecting them.
Doctors look for a donor in this order:
1. Close family members: People like siblings and parents are considered first, as they are more likely to have an HLA match.
2. Unrelated donors: If there is no family match, national or international donor registries are checked to find a match. Millions of donors around the world are registered in this way.
3. Partially matched (Haploidentical) donors: Sometimes, cells can be obtained from a family member who is exactly half the HLA match of the recipient.
Can you become a donor? This is the process.
Yes, if you are healthy, you too have a great opportunity to contribute to this noble cause. The process of registering as a donor is not as complicated as you might think. It takes just a few steps.
- Registration: The first thing you need to do is fill out an application through a donor registration agency. This will require you to provide details about your health history and contact information.
- HLA test: Next, you will be tested to find out your HLA type. This is very simple. They will swab the inside of your cheek with a small cotton swab and take a sample of cells from there. You may also be able to get a kit to take home for this.
- Waiting for a match: After your HLA information is entered into the registry, you have to wait for a patient to match you. This can take months, or even years.
- If a match is found: If you find a patient who is a good match, you will be contacted by that institution. You will then need to do some more blood tests to confirm the match.
- Counseling and Consent: If everything goes well, the entire process, its risks and benefits, will be explained to you. Then, your informed consent will be obtained.
- Final Medical Examination: Before donating, you will undergo a complete medical examination to ensure that you are completely healthy.
Every step of this process is designed to ensure the utmost safety for both the donor and the recipient.
Who cannot donate stem cells?
Some age restrictions and health conditions prevent everyone from donating stem cells. These rules are in place to protect both the donor and the recipient. Here are some of the main reasons why you may not be able to donate.
| Cause / medical condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Age | In most countries, only those between the ages of 18-40 can register as a donor. |
| HIV/AIDS | People with this condition cannot donate. |
| Severe arthritis | Severe conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. |
| Autoimmune diseases | For those with autoimmune diseases that affect the whole body. |
| Cancer | If you have previously received cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation) or have had cancer within the past 5 years. |
| Diabetes | For diabetics who take insulin injections. |
| Heart disease | If you have a history of heart disease, bypass surgery, angioplasty, etc. |
| Hepatitis B or C | For those with these infectious conditions. |
This list is just a few of the reasons. If you are interested in donating but have concerns about a health condition, it is best to talk to your doctor.
What happens before and during the donation day?
Give it to me a few days ago.
Once you are confirmed to be a donor, you will be given a daily injection starting 4-5 days before the donation. This injection contains a drug called Filgrastim . This stimulates your bone marrow to release a large number of stem cells into your bloodstream. We can then easily collect those cells from your blood.
These injections may cause some minor side effects:
- Pain in the bones
- Headache
- A slight fever.
- Nausea
- Difficulty falling asleep
Don't worry, these side effects will go away soon after the injection is finished. You can also take a common painkiller like paracetamol to control the pain, as prescribed by your doctor.
At the time of donation
This process is also called "harvesting." It's like collecting platelets from blood.
- You will be placed in a comfortable chair or bed.
- Two cannulas will be inserted into the veins of both your arms.
- On the one hand, some of your blood is taken and sent through a special machine. This machine filters and separates only the stem cells from the blood.
- After the stem cells are separated, the remaining blood is returned to your body through the cannula in your other arm.
This entire process takes about 4-6 hours a day. It takes about 3-4 days to collect the amount of stem cells the patient needs. During this time, you are free to read books and use your phone.
What are the benefits and risks of this?
The main and only benefit of stem cell donation is that you are saving another person's life. That person could be your own sibling, or someone you have never met. Either way, you are giving that person a second chance to recover from a serious illness. That is a priceless feeling.
As for the risks, they are very low. The donation process is very safe. This does not increase your risk of developing blood-related diseases or cancer in the future. Your body quickly regenerates the donated stem cells.
Take-Home Message
- Donating blood stem cells is a very safe and noble act that can save the life of someone with serious diseases such as blood cancer.
- The first step in registering as a donor (HLA testing) is very simple. All it requires is a small sample of cells taken from the cheek.
- The donation process is similar to platelet donation, and the risk to the donor is very low.
- Your body will quickly regenerate the donated stem cells.
- If you are healthy, consider becoming a donor. You can give someone the most precious gift they can, life. If you would like more information about this, talk to your doctor.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න