Donating stem cells
Already on the registry? Confirm your commitment to donate and make sure your contact details are up to date. Call us at 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283). Learn the importance of donor commitment.
National stem cell registry and cord blood bank
We manage a national stem cell registry and public cord blood bank (excluding Quebec) that is dedicated to recruiting healthy, committed volunteer donors for patients in need of stem cell transplants.
Canadian Blood Services’ Stem Cell Registry is part of an international community of stem cell registries — all working together to match patients with lifesaving stem cells. Patients in Canada find their matches from within the country and abroad; and likewise, patients from around the world find matches from donors living in Canada.
Stem cell transplants require a one-to-one genetic match between the patient and donor which can be hard to find. To ensure every patient finds their match, we need a larger, more ethnically diverse donor base. Learn more about building diversity in stem cells.
Below is an overview of our stem cell programs
Statistics below represent data collected since 2014.
Patients in need
across Canada
Registered stem
cell donors
Cord blood units
banked
Cord blood units
shipped
Stem cell products
procured for patients
How do stem cell donations help?
Blood stem cell transplants can treat over 80 diseases and disorders, including:
- Various types of blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma.
- Bone marrow deficiency diseases such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease.
- Aplastic anemia (the lack of normal blood cell production).
- Inherited immune system and metabolic disorders.
Our bodies constantly manufacture blood stem cells because without them, the consequences can be life-threatening.
Why Robbie donated
Robbie Faraday was in his first year of university when he met fellow first-year student Mackenzie Curran, a stem cell transplant recipient and cancer survivor.
After learning about her health experiences and the need for ethnic diversity within the stem cell registry, he thought about his own mixed ancestry and decided to take the next step.
What are stem cells?
Blood stem cells are immature cells that can develop into the cells present in the bloodstream, including:
- Red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
- White blood cells, which fight infections.
- Platelets, which help control bleeding.
Blood stem cells are not embryonic stem cells. They come from circulating (peripheral) blood, bone marrow or umbilical cord blood. When patients need a stem cell transplant, it means that their bone marrow (stem cell factory) has failed due to an illness.
When you donate blood stem cells, it replaces a patient’s unhealthy stem cells and helps heal many illnesses affecting the blood and immune system.
Stem cell donations are crucial in helping patients with failed bone marrow and those receiving chemotherapy or radiation.
Patients who undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment may also need a transplant of healthy stem cells to help heal and reboot their immune system.
There are three ways to donate
Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs), collected from stem cells circulating in the bloodstream through a non-surgical process similar to donating blood.
Approximately 90% of collections are completed using this procedure.
Bone marrow stem cells, collected from the back of the pelvic bones through a surgical procedure performed under general anesthetic.
Approximately 10% of collections are completed using this procedure.
Learn more about donating stem cells
Being informed is a vital process in becoming a registered blood stem cell donor. Explore our resources and understand what it means to join Canada's national stem cell registry.
Stem cells FAQs and common myths
How are donors matched? Can family members donate stem cells to each other? Do all stem cell donations require surgery?
Find answers to frequently asked questions and common myths.
About Canadian Blood Services’ Stem Cell Registry
Canadian Blood Services’ Stem Cell Registry is dedicated to recruiting and finding healthy, committed volunteer donors for patients in need of blood stem cell transplants. We belong to an international network of registries comprising over 80 participating countries, with over 40 million donors from around the world.
Canadian Blood Services’ Stem Cell Registry operates according to international standards established by the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA), the international organization that promotes the ethical, technical, medical, and financial aspects of stem cell transplantation. We coordinate searches in Canada with other international registries to work towards a single goal: helping patients get the blood stem cells they need.
Share your story to inspire people to join the registry
Whether you're a patient or family member, sharing your story is a powerful way to inspire others to register to donate stem cells or cord blood.
Already registered with UBMDR?
Previous registrants of the Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry (UBMDR) are already part of Canadian Blood Services’ Stem Cell Registry and do not need to register again.
If your personal information or health status has changed, update your contact information or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).