Donating peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC)

By donating your peripheral blood stem cells, you can help change the life of someone with blood cancer or another blood disorder. Learn more about the process and the impact you could have as a donor.

Blood stem cells are blood-producing cells that create white and red blood cells as well as platelets. These stem cells can self-renew, meaning they can divide to produce more stem cells. Because of their versatility, they’re vital for fighting a host of diseases and maintaining a healthy immune system. When these cells are found in circulating blood, they’re referred to as “peripheral blood stem cells.”

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation is one of two methods of collecting blood-forming cells for blood stem cell transplants. The same blood-forming cells that are found in bone marrow are also found in the circulating (peripheral) blood. PBSC donation is done via a nonsurgical procedure called apheresis. The other donation method is bone marrow.

The PBSC process

90% of donors provide blood stem cells through PBSC donation. This outpatient procedure typically takes between 4-8 hours.

Find out more about the donation timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Because PBSC donation is more complex than donating blood, you’ll likely have questions regarding preparation, recovery and the process itself. Staff at your donor center can answer many of your questions. However, you can find answers to frequently asked questions on our site.

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