Lymphocyte donation
On rare occasions, we may ask a donor to donate lymphocytes as well.
What are lymphocytes?
Lymphocytes are a subgroup of white blood cells, formed in the bone marrow. They include T cells and the natural killer cells, NK cells. They are responsible for fighting pathogens and killing off cancer cells.
How do they work?
If given by infusion to a patient after a stem cell transplant, lymphocytes can recognise leukaemia cells and destroy them. In addition, virus-specific T cells can prevent some of the life-threatening infections that can occur after a patient has received a stem cell transplant.
Next steps
Lymphocytes are usually donated at the same collection clinic as stem cells.
If we ask you for a lymphocyte donation, we will be requesting your commitment a second time. As ever, when it comes to donating lymphocytes, the health of our donors is our top priority.
And as with your stem cell donation, our trained workup team will work in close consultation with you and is responsible for all the organisation. If you have any questions about donating lymphocytes, we’ll be happy to answer them at any time!
