Finding blood and marrow transplant donors for everyone
Haploidentical donors slightly better than cord blood in some cases
Age18-70 years old
Number of Participants370
Research GoalImprove Survival
Although blood and marrow transplant (BMT) can cure leukemia and lymphoma, some people can’t find a fully matched donor. And people with diverse ethnic backgrounds may have more difficulty finding a match.
New research shows that two types of partly matched donors can help: haploidentical and cord blood donors. “Few, if any, patients should be denied transplant for lack of a donor,” researchers wrote.
This news is from a clinical trial that included about 370 US adults with acute leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. People got BMT during 2012-2018 from either a haploidentical donor or a cord blood donor. They all had similar preparation, called reduced-intensity conditioning.
New research shows that two types of partly matched donors can help: haploidentical and cord blood donors. “Few, if any, patients should be denied transplant for lack of a donor,” researchers wrote.
This news is from a clinical trial that included about 370 US adults with acute leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. People got BMT during 2012-2018 from either a haploidentical donor or a cord blood donor. They all had similar preparation, called reduced-intensity conditioning.
What is a haploidentical transplant?
Although it is a mouthful, haploidentical (pronounced HAP-lo-eye-DENtick-al) simply means half-matched for certain genes. A haploidentical, or half-matched, donor can be your mom, your dad or your child. Your brothers or sisters have a 50% chance of being a half-match.
What is a cord blood transplant?
Umbilical cord blood, which is often thrown away after birth, instead can be frozen and used for life-saving transplants. Cord blood does not have to be matched as closely as bone marrow. So, it is a good option for people who can’t find a full or half-match.
Haploidentical transplants may be a little better than cord blood
In this study, researchers found most people lived longer after a haploidentical transplant than after a cord blood transplant. About 2 years later:
- 57% of people with haploidentical transplants were alive
- 46% of people with cord blood transplants were alive
Learn more about
- HLA matching at BeTheMatch.org
- More study summaries at cibmtr.org