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A premier of its kind in the Arab world!
History is being made at National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA). King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) at NGHA has announced the launching the first Saudi Bone Marrow Donor Registry (SBMDR). SBMDR will build a database of bone marrow donors to ensure finding a matching donor for patients suffering from incurable diseases such as leukemia and some genetic diseases.
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| What is the mission of SBMDR?
The mission of SBMDR is to recruit bone marrow donors from the kingdom, perform tissue typing for them, and create a large database of these donors. Once a leukemia patient for instance, fails to find a donor among his/her relatives, the registry will be searched in order to find a suitable donor. The matching donor will be contacted and will be asked to donate some of his bone marrow stem cells which will be drawn either from his peripheral blood or from his bone marrow depending on the donor’s decision. These stem cells will be used to save the life of the leukemia patient by performing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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| What is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation?
Hematopoietic stem cells are stem cells that can give rise to all blood cells. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the infusion of donor hematopoietic stem cells inside the veins of the recipient/patient. This process is done to re-establish normal blood cell regeneration in patients with defective bone marrow or immune systems. These stems cells could be collected from umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, or bone marrow.
This procedure is carried to treat a wide variety of life threatening disorders such as cancerous and genetic disorders.
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How to find a donor for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation?
Since the first successful stem cell transplantation in 1957, more than 50,000 transplantation have been performed annually worldwide. But in order to do stem cell transplantation, you need to find a matching donor. This donor will donate bone marrow stem cells either from peripheral blood or from bone marrow. Most important of all, this donor has to be matching with the patient for his tissue type.
So far in Saudi Arabia, majority of donors are family members. However, this had reduced the chance of finding a donor. Many patients die because the doctors fail to find a donor among relatives. In fact, 30% adults and 60% children cannot find a family donor in Saudi Arabia.
By establishing SBMDR, chances of finding a suitable donor will be increased up to 100%.
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How can I register as donor?
To register as a donor, you will need to answer some health-related questions, sign the consent form for registration, then give a small blood sample for tissue typing test (to determine you tissue type). The whole process will be confidential. Not every registered donor of the SBMDR will actually become a donor. Only those who are found to be matching to patients in need of donation will become a donor.
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How can I donate bone marrow cells?
If you were found to be a match for a patient needing donation, you will be contacted and asked if you are willing to donate. You will be given detailed information about the donation and recovery process. If you agree to proceed, you will sign a consent form for donation and blood testing, including testing for infectious agents and confirmatory tissue typing. Next, you will have a physical examination to make sure that donation is safe for both you and the patient. You will decide whether peripheral blood donation or bone marrow donation is required.
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- For peripheral blood donation, you will be given a medication to increase your blood-forming cells. Then your blood is collected through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells (hematopoietic stem cells). The remaining blood is returned to you through the other arm.
- For bone marrow donation, doctors use a needle to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bone. You will receive anesthesia and feel no pain during the donation.
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You will be followed up until you are fully recovered. Depending on the type of donation, full recovery is usually achieved after 1 day to one week of donation.
How many bone marrow donor registries are there in the Arab world?
Around the world, since the first one was launched in the 70’s, there are now 64 donor registries in 44 countries (with >17,000,000 donors). In the Arab world, however, with the effort made by pioneer scientists at NGHA, we are very proud to say that there is now SBMDR, the first of its kind in the Arab world!
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