Government recommendations for changes to the donor selection criteria for donors of tissues and cells have been welcomed by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.
A report by SaBTO (Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs) has recommended making it easier for men who have had sex with men to be able to donate life-saving stem cells. The changes apply specifically to unrelated adult donors, and for cord blood donors, where in each case, a deferral will no longer apply.
‘The widening of the pool of potentially life-saving donors is very good news for everyone who needs a stem cell transplant,’ says Dr Bronwen Shaw, Chief Medical Officer at Anthony Nolan.
‘In particular, the change relating to cord blood donors means that there is no longer an exclusion of 12 months after sexual contact by the woman with a man who has ever had sex with a man.
‘It is already current practice for Anthony Nolan not to operate a deferral upon such potential donors and we are pleased at the recommendation to apply this across the board. This is a vital step forward in helping to save more lives.’
Anthony Nolan contributed to the review of the evidence supporting a minimum deferral period for MSM donors of cells and tissues.