What is a PBSC donation?

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation is one of three ways to collect blood stem cells for transplantation. When you register at one of the A&M drives, you are registering for PBSC donation. PBSC donation is a nonsurgical procedure done at an outpatient clinic. PBSC donors recieve daily injections of a drug called filgrastim or an FDA-approved similar for 5 days leading up to the donation to increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream. Then, using a process called apheresis, a donor's blood is removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that seperates out the blood-forming cells (aka blood stem cells). A blood stem cell transplant can help cure or treat more than 75 diseases.

How does the matching system work?

Doctors look for a donor who matches their patient's tissue type, specifically their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type. HLAs are genes that code for proteins-or markers- found on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses these markers to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. The closer the match between patient's HLA and yours, the better for the patient.

Can I change my mind after getting put in the registry?

Donating is always voluntary, and you have the right to change your mind at any time. If you decide you don't want to donate, let us know right away. We'll need to continue the search for another donor, and delays can be life-threatening for the patient.

Concerns about DNA testing

Your entire genome will not be sequenced. In order to make sure you are a good match for your donor, a process called HLA typing is done. Only a specific part of your DNA that contains immune protein information is sequenced. HLA typing for NMDP purposes does not involve sequencing your entire genome (sequencing an entire genome is not only unnecessary, but also expensive). Instead it targets specific regions within the HLA gene loci on chromosome 6. The process focuses exclusively on the parts of your DNA that are critica for immune compatibility: - No information about other genes or unrelated health traits is gathered. - Data collected is specific to matching your immune system profile with that of potiential recipients.