KOLLAM: A statewide stem cell donor registry camp titled ‘Aardra’16’ and organised by the students of TKM College of Engineering here in association with ‘Datri,’ a Chennai-based NGO, will be held on the college campus on Wednesday. The drive will be conducted in various colleges in the state to increase the number of registered stem cell donors. The programme last year had found matching donors for five blood cancer patients from a total of 4,232 donors.
“Our aim is to increase the number of registered stem cell donors in the nation-wide stem cell donor registry to fight blood cancer, blood-related disorders and other fatal diseases. We also aim to spread awareness about the stem cell therapy in curing such diseases,” said Rahul S. Shibu, a member of STEPS (Students of TKMCE for the Empowerment of People and Society).
“We were inspired by the story of an alumnus who was cured of leukaemia through stem cell therapy. Through ‘Aarda '15,’ which we increased the donor registry by 18.5 percent in Kerala and 4.2 percent in India,” he added. At the camp, a consent form is signed by the donor and a sample of his cheek cells is taken. It is sent for DBA tests and the data is entered in the donor registry. If the genetic type matches with that of a patient, the donor will be contacted.
After a master health check-up, the donor will undergo a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) collection procedure in which the person will be given a Filgrastim injection for five consecutive days to increase the amount of stem cells in blood. On the sixth day, the PBSC takes place. Blood will be taken from one vein, passed through a machine (which separates the excess stem cells) and then pumped back into the body through the other arm. These stem cells are provided to the patient.
