Over 1,000 stem cell donations in 30 years
The Stem Cell Registry has reached an important milestone: over 1,000 members have donated stem cells for patient treatment since its establishment.
The registry was established in 1992. Its mission is to maintain a pool of voluntary donors, find a suitable stem cell donor for each patient, and deliver stem cell transplants for treatment. For many seriously ill patients, such as those with leukemia, a stem cell transplant is the only chance for recovery.
Today, the Stem Cell Registry has nearly 80,000 members. Every new member is valuable, as donor compatibility is determined by matching tissue type with the patient.
Each year, around 150 Finnish patients require an allogeneic stem cell transplant, meaning one collected from a donor. Some receive the transplant from a relative, but most need help from a registry donor. However, about one in five patients still cannot find a compatible donor in the registry.
Currently, 40–60 members of the Stem Cell Registry donate stem cells annually to an unknown recipient. International cooperation is essential: Finnish patients often receive donations from abroad, and Finnish donors help patients around the world.
“Thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible – donors, coordinators, couriers, specialists, the communications team, and all other supporters. Let’s continue working together to ensure every patient finds a suitable donor,” says Taina Jaatinen, Head of the Stem Cell Registry.
