This web site is meant primarily for professionals who are involved in the process of trying to find an unrelated stem cell donor or cord blood unit for a patient in need of a stem cell transplantation. However, links and information are also provided for patients, for those who would like to be a donor, and for researchers.

The BMDW Annual Report will give you an idea of what BMDW is all about. Here you can read about the increase in the number of donors and donor registries, the emergence of cord blood registries, and about the computer programs that are used to find donors for leukemia patients (match programs).

Stem cell donor and cord blood registries participating in BMDW are expected to adhere to the Standards of the World Marrow Donor Association. This document also contains standards for transplant centres and stem cell harvest centres. See also the Standards for Specialist Units Undertaking Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplants (recommendations from the EBMT).

Every month BMDW collects the HLA phenotypes (tissue types) of volunteer stem cell donors and cord blood units from many registries. You can find the addresses, and homepages of the registries in the section Participating Registries.

The match programs can be accessed on-line. In addition to the regular match program we have added mismatch programs, a cord blood match program and the possibility to submit a search advice request. We have also added a haplotype frequency analysis on phenotype data submitted by the participating registries.

Of course only BMT-professionals who have received authorization and participating registries can access these services. See the section Participation and Authorization for details. Security is of the utmost importance. A username and password are required, and a secure protocol has been implemented to encrypt all transmitted data.

Can you imagine what it means to search for your one and only person who can save your life?

Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as leukaemia and other blood disorders. Medical treatment can cure these patients, but success is not assured. The transfer of healthy blood stem cells may be the last chance to safe their life.

PRESS RELEASE

BMDW - Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide * Plesmanlaan 1b * 2333 BZ Leiden * The Netherlands