Since 1991, the staff of Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry has been striving to get the best donor for each patient, and to achieve most effective coordination within the international network. We are thankful to all Hungarian and foreign donors for offering voluntary donation.
Successful stem cell transplantation is due to the coordinated work of hematologists; transplant committees and working groups, laboratories and national as well as international registries. The aim of this site is to inform professionals as well as laymen on the details of this process.
Establishment of the Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry
The Hungarian Bone Marrow Donor Registry was established in 1991 by the National Institute for Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Department of Immunogenetics, building up a link between clinical bone marrow transplantation program and the worldwide voluntary donor organizations.
In 1992, the Hungarian Bone Marrow Donor Registry joined the International Organization (WMDA). Since 1992, Hungary has been providing donor data to the international database (BMDW).
The operation of the Hungarian Bone Marrow Donor Registry was inserted officially into the Deed of Foundation in 1994, parallel to the reorganization of the Institute of Hematology. Since 2007 the registry has been functioning as a subunit of the National Hungarian Blood Transfusion Service.
For keeping the donor records and performing donor search a selection program developed by the French registry (EDS) and a self-developed database program were used from 1991. With the help of funding sources our own program was developed, and from 2012 Prometheus software developed by a Czech company is used. This software makes it possible to use the EMDIS connection system to run donor search online, which significantly accelerated the process of selecting suitable donor.
At the time of establishment a foundation did, while since 2003 the Ministry of Health has been ensuring direct financial support for the operation of the Registry. The Department for International and European Union Affairs of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration is financing cross-border activities of the Registry for the Hungarian patients.
Main activity and tasks of the registry
The Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry is part of the international network (WMDA). Hungarian donors are added to the international donor pool to be selectable, and for the Hungarian patients the most suitable donor can be selected among the 40 million registered voluntary donors worldwide.
Our tasks are:
- to recruit Hungarian donors in cooperation with the HNBTS regional and local centers; promote the registration of younger and healthy volunteers,
- to select the best fitting donor in the national and international database for the Hungarian patients, and coordinate further testing and the final request of the donor,
- to activate the Hungarian donor selected for a foreign patients; to arrange performing the requested tests or sending blood samples for confirmatory HLA typing,
- to send Hungarian donor data necessary for donor selection to the international database,
- to organize training courses for professionals involved in stem cell donor recruitment, stem cell donation and transplantation,
- to inform registered donors and people interested in donor enrollment, donation, donor selection,
- to support the work of the Pediatric and Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Committee,
- to send annual report about the activity of the registry to the international organization (WMDA).
Who can donate blood stem cells in Hungary?
To be listed as a new volunteer donor in the Hungarian Stem Cell Registry, you must be:
- aged between 18 and 45 (age limit to be active donor till 60)
- in good health (therefore one blood donation is required before registration, to assess the donor's health)
- ready to donate stem cells to any patient in need
You can join within 56 days after your blood donation. We will check that there is no medical reason preventing you from being a stem cell donor. Please inform the staff at the blood donation session that you wish to join the registry before your blood donation is taken.
More information about donation and transplantation in English https://wmda.info/
