NMDP Donor for All

Blood stem cell transplants can offer a promising cure for blood cancers or disorders. But in the past, having a fully matched donor was crucial for patients to have the best outcome.

Unfortunately, even though every search in partnership with NMDP^SM provides patients with access to more than 41 million potential donors worldwide, not every patient has a full donor match. That’s especially true for those with ethnically diverse ancestries. It's left many patients without the chance to receive a life-saving blood stem cell transplant.

At NMDP, we refuse to accept the status quo. We’re redefining the future of cell therapy through NMDP Donor for All—and increasing the odds all patients will find their best match. Because every patient deserves to receive their life-saving cell therapy.

Changing what’s possible for patients who need a life-saving cure

Our Donor for All initiative aims to safely unlock access to blood stem cell transplant through many innovative research efforts using partially matched donors. This will significantly expand patients’ options for suitable donors—all while providing outcomes in line with using a fully matched donor.

And the Donor for All research efforts are already paying off for patients and their families.

Donor for All research gave Amelia the chance for a cure
Amelia's chances of finding a fully matched donor were next to impossible. A clinical trial that's part of the Donor for All initiative was the lifeline she needed.
Read Amelia’s story
The ACCESS clinical trial gave Johanna a second chance at life
Johanna didn’t have a fully matched donor on the registry. She enrolled in an NMDP-sponsored clinical trial that's part of Donor for All. And that made all the difference.
Read Johanna’s story

Why the need for Donor for All exists

In the past, patients with blood cancers or disorders who had ethnically diverse ancestries had less than a 50% chance of finding a fully matched donor (also known as an 8/8 match).

A person is most likely to match a donor of a similar ethnic background because the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins that doctors use to pair patients and donors are inherited. However, for many reasons—including systemic racism in the health care system—the NMDP^SM isn't diverse enough to ensure every patient finds a fully matched donor.

We’re actively working to remove barriers to donation and address the historical underrepresentation of diverse ethnic backgrounds on the registry. But while more potential donors are always needed to join the NMDP Registry to improve all patients’ odds of finding a suitable match, registry recruitment alone won’t solve the problem. Science will.

Breakthrough research brings life-saving treatments to more patients

Watch this video to learn why research using partially matched donors is so important.

How Donor for All research efforts are paying off

As part of Donor for All, NMDP is sponsoring a series of clinical trials conducted by CIBMTR® (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research®), a research collaboration between the Medical College of Wisconsin® and NMDP.

The clinical trials—known as 15-MMUD, ACCESS and OPTIMIZE—all use blood stem cells from partially matched donors and a drug called post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy). PTCy has been a game changer in preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)—which is a serious, and sometimes life-threatening, complication after transplant.

Our research findings advance our ability to offer more options to patients without a fully matched donor, many of whom are ethnically diverse and have been underserved in receiving potentially life-saving cell therapy.

STEVEN DEVINE, MD

Chief Medical Officer, NMDP; Senior Scientific Director, CIBMTR

Increasing the odds for all patients

The 15-MMUD clinical trial and early results from the ACCESS clinical trial show that patients can safely receive a blood stem cell transplant using cells from a partially matched donor. And their outcomes are in line with those of patients who received cells from a fully matched donor.

That matters because research from NMDP shows that using partially matched donors (5/8-7/8) can improve the odds of finding a match for all patients who need a blood stem cell transplant.

Significantly increasing the odds of finding a life-saving match

Every increase in the odds that a patient can find a match represents more lives that are saved and even more hope to be found for other patients.

Only 66%

of patients have an 8/8 donor

Now, 84%

of patients have a match when using a 7/8 donor

NEARLY 100%

of patients have access to a donor when matches range from 5/8 to 8/8

The clinical trials are impacting equitable access to transplant, too. About 50% of patients in both the 15-MMUD and ACCESS clinical trials have ethnically diverse ancestries. In most transplant clinical trials, that number is less than 20%.

Two of the clinical trials continue to enroll patients:

ACCESS clinical trial (Opens in a new tab) for pediatric group only
OPTIMIZE clinical trial (Opens in a new tab) for adults

Clinical trials support for patients and families

Through the Jason Carter Clinical Trials Search and Support program, NMDP helps patients and their families search for and enroll in appropriate clinical trials through one-on-one support and an easy-to-use search tool.

Help us make a life-saving difference for patients

Science is changing what’s possible for patients who need a life-saving cure. And we won’t rest until there’s a world where every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy.

Discover how you can support the transformative Donor for All research to advance cures for all patients.

Support Donor for All research