Why ethnicity and diversity matter when matching
A person’s ethnic background plays a significant role in their ability to donate peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow. Because of this, it’s important to have a diverse donor pool that allows people of all cultures, backgrounds and heritages to find a match. By joining the registry, you give hope to patients like you and so many others who are looking for their cure.
How donors and patients are matched: HLA
Finding the right donor for a patient isn’t simple. Donors and patients are matched largely based on genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). These genes code for proteins—or markers—found on most of the cells in your body. When it comes to matching HLA types, a patient’s ethnic background is important in predicting the likelihood of finding a match. That’s because HLA is inherited. Some ethnic groups have more complex tissue types than others, which makes finding a close match more difficult.
Not all ethnicities are equitably represented on the registry, however. To support our vision of creating a world where every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy, we’re working to increase the diversity of the donor registry through our recruitment efforts. By doing so, we expand access to a cure for more individuals.
Improving donor equity
Black/African American
2024 was an incredible year, with 14,000 African Americans aged 18–24 joining the NMDP RegistrySM. There’s still a long way to go, though, since donors of African American ancestry remain underrepresented on the registry. They’re especially needed for patients with conditions such as sickle cell disease.
Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) represent a significant range of countries and ethnicities, yet patients with that heritage continue to have difficulty finding a donor match. Your background could be the key to unlocking someone's cure.
Hawaiian
Patients often have a great deal of support from loved ones and medical staff, but a transplant from a matching donor is a critical piece to healing a patient in need. Due to Hawaii’s diversity, donors from the state can help patients from all over the world.
Hispanic/Latino
13% of registry members identify as Hispanic or Latino. That’s not enough, though, to meet the needs of Hispanic patients looking for an unrelated blood stem cell donor. To increase that number, NMDP is working to break down barriers to joining the registry.
LGBTQIA+ donors
Your sexual orientation does not limit your ability to donate peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow. In fact, you won’t even be asked to disclose this information when you join the donor registry.
Learn how the LGBTQIA+ community can help diversify the donor pool
Get the facts
There are a lot of questions when it comes to donating, including who can and can’t donate. We’ve compiled a list of the most accurate and up-to-date information about becoming a donor so you can make an informed decision about what’s right for you.
Myths & facts about bone marrow and blood stem cell donation
What you can do
Your ethnic background can make all the difference for a patient with a blood cancer or disorder. Join the registry and spread the word about the need to increase its diversity so that all patients can find their cure.