Online recruiting of marrow donors a hit
Published: March 4, 2008 at 2:16 PM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 4 (UPI) -- A Canadian Internet project to recruit potential bone marrow donors and their DNA samples has been deemed a major success by its organizers.
The OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network's onematch.ca site asks would-be donors of bone marrow and stem cells to register and then a DNA collection kit is mailed them. The kit contains swabs the person uses on the inside of the cheeks and then mail to an Ottawa lab, the Vancouver Sun reported.
For the past four months, ethnically diverse groups have been targeted by the OneMatch campaign, as 85 percent of the 227,000 registered would-be donors are Caucasian, said network Executive Director Sue Smith.
That advertising appeared to pay off. She said 2,587 people under the age of 40 registered in the past four months, compared with 947 in the same period the year before.
Smith said last year 233 Canadians received stem cell transplants after a match was found for them in the registry, the Sun said.
The OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network's onematch.ca site asks would-be donors of bone marrow and stem cells to register and then a DNA collection kit is mailed them. The kit contains swabs the person uses on the inside of the cheeks and then mail to an Ottawa lab, the Vancouver Sun reported.
For the past four months, ethnically diverse groups have been targeted by the OneMatch campaign, as 85 percent of the 227,000 registered would-be donors are Caucasian, said network Executive Director Sue Smith.
That advertising appeared to pay off. She said 2,587 people under the age of 40 registered in the past four months, compared with 947 in the same period the year before.
Smith said last year 233 Canadians received stem cell transplants after a match was found for them in the registry, the Sun said.
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
» Next in Health:
Survey: Doctors say they need more sleep
Latest Headlines
- GM reaches pact with union in Delta strike
- Calif. wine pioneer Mondavi dies
- Stroke outcome helped by clot-busting drug
- Study casts doubt on high-salt diet risk
- Huckabee jokes about Obama gunman
- Flights at N.Y.-area airports to be capped
- Strike closes five Norwegian airports
- Senator: McCain's military roots limit him
Most Popular
- Huckabee jokes about Obama gunman
- Canadian actress to join 'CSI' cast
- British couple go at it on plane
- Study: Fish underwent 'reverse evolution'
- Students, faculty protest Schlafly honor
- North Carolina forward to transfer
- Senator: McCain's military roots limit him
- Flights at N.Y.-area airports to be capped