Record number of patients received help through the Stem Cell Registry
During 2025, a total of 179 stem cell transplants were facilitated through the Stem Cell Registry – the highest number in its entire history. Last year, the registry’s membership grew to more than 80,000 members.
Over 80,000 volunteers ready to help patients
In 2025, 5,074 new members joined the Stem Cell Registry, bringing the total number of volunteers to 80,143 by the end of the year. This is the highest number ever in the registry’s history.
“The goal of the registry is to maintain a committed group of donors who are available to help patients. Treatment outcomes for patients receiving a stem cell transplant are better the younger the donor is. That is why new members are continuously needed,” says Taina Jaatinen, Head of the Stem Cell Registry.
Stem cell transplants can be used to treat several serious blood diseases. The most common are various leukemias, myeloma, and lymphomas. For many patients, a transplant is the last treatment option.
More than 1,000 Finns have donated stem cells through the registry
In 2025, the Stem Cell Registry reached an important milestone: over 1,000 members have donated stem cells for patient treatment during the registry’s 33 years of operation. In 2025 alone, Finnish registry members acted as donors on 77 occasions.
The number of transplants facilitated through the Stem Cell Registry has increased steadily in recent years. In 2025, 179 transplants were facilitated, compared with 160 in 2024 and 156 in 2023.
“This reflects trust in the operations of the Stem Cell Registry. The registry operates efficiently, and we are able to deliver transplants to an increasing number of patients,” Taina Jaatinen analyses.
International cooperation is vital
In Finland, approximately 150 patients per year need a stem cell transplant collected from a donor. One quarter of them receive the transplant from a related donor, while the rest require help from a registry donor.
The donor selected is always the best possible match in terms of tissue type. A suitable donor is not always found in the Finnish Stem Cell Registry, which is why international cooperation is essential. Finnish registry members may also donate stem cells to patients abroad.
Although the global registry includes more than 40 million members, currently one in five patients in Finland cannot find the best possible matching donor. Everyone who joins the Stem Cell Registry is a potential lifesaver.
“I would like to extend my thanks to all parties involved in making the operations of the Stem Cell Registry possible. Together, we will continue working to ensure that every patient finds a suitable donor,” Taina Jaatinen says.
People aged 18–35 can join the Stem Cell Registry. Joining is possible at Blood Service locations or online.
Founded in 1992, the primary task of the Stem Cell Registry is to maintain a registry of healthy volunteer donor candidates living in Finland and Estonia and to manage the stem cell transplant supply chain – from searching for a suitable donor to delivering the transplant to its destination. The registry works in close cooperation with stem cell registries worldwide and their umbrella organization, WMDA. The Stem Cell Registry operates as part of the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service.
