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 Why Marrow Must Match Only cells that are very simi lar to your own can be used for your transplant. If your marrow type did not match your donor's, the transplanted cells would notice that your body's cells were different, and attack them.  Even when your donor's cells are very similar to your own, there are still some small genetic differences. So it may take time for your body's cells and the transplanted cells to learn to work together.  If you're donating cells back to yourself, your recovery will probably be quicker. The transplanted cells and your body's cells wont't fight at all because they will be old friends.  |
The Harvest The procedure to collect the donated bone marrow or stem cells is called the harvest. Before the harvest can take place, a donor must be found. If tests show that your brother or sister can be your donor, you may want to share these pages with him or her. Finding a Donor Your donor will be one of the following people: • yourself • a sibling or other family member • someone not related to you Whether or not you’ll be able to donate your own stem cells depends on the type of disease you have and your current condition. Your doctor will let you know if you can be your own donor. If you have a sibling, there’s a 25 percent chance that his or her bone marrow type will match yours. An identical twin’s marrow will match yours exactly. Unfortunately, it’s likely that none of your family members will have matching bone marrow. Then an unrelated donor must be found. A search for a suitable donor will be carried out in the U.S. and even foreign countries. Collecting Stem Cells The stem cells you’ll receive will be collected from one of three places: • a person’s bone marrow—the largest amount is found in the hip bones • blood that’s circulating through a person’s body—these stem cells are called peripheral (pe-RIF-er-al) stem cells • the umbilical cord of a newborn baby—full of stem cells |