Spit to save a life
Anthony Nolan launches saliva testing kits for new donors. If you would like to join the register please click here.
From 1 July 2010, Anthony Nolan is launching a simple new way for people to join its bone marrow register and save lives: by giving a saliva sample. The UK charity is the first register in the world to use a revolutionary new system which it hopes will enable it to double the number of lives it saves every day.
Previously, Anthony Nolan asked people to give blood samples to establish their tissue type, which meant visiting a doctor or attending a recruitment event in their area. The saliva kits can be simply posted out to someone who wants to join the register, and they just need to complete a medical questionnaire, spit into the tube and send it back. No needles, no hassle.
Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan, said, “We’re really excited about the switch to saliva testing. Ultimately, this is about saving more lives. Anthony Nolan provides two potentially lifesaving transplants every day, but there is an equal number that we can’t currently help. We urgently need to increase the number of people on our register, and saliva testing will help us do that much more quickly and effectively.”
Ian Curry, chief executive of DNA Genotek, who developed the saliva kits, explained: "By simplifying the sample collection and transportation procedures, the saliva kits, known as Oragene•ONE, enable Anthony Nolan to focus on its primary goal of increasing donor recruitment. Oragene•ONE provides a reliable, cost-effective, and scalable collection method that is ideal for bone marrow donor registries. Everyone at DNA Genotek is proud to play a small role in this lifesaving programme.”
The switch to saliva comes as part of several organisational changes to help the charity reach out to younger audiences, especially young men, who are more likely to become donors. It is also a response to today's lifestyle where potential donors due to work or family commitments may not have the time to travel to a recruitment event, but would still like to join the register.
The charity is launching a dynamic new image and new website to attract more young male donors, both of which will join the saliva campaign on its 1 July launch date.
For the past 35 years, Anthony Nolan has found matches for leukaemia patients who need a lifesaving transplant. For someone with leukaemia, a stem cell transplant can be their only hope of life.
To join the register, you must be aged between 18 and 40, weigh more than 8 stone (51kg) and be in general good health. For more information on the donating process, or to apply to join the register, click here or call 0303 303 0303.
For more information, please contact Victoria Moffett on 020 7424 6619 / 07825 937920 or email victoria.moffett@anthonynolan.org
Notes to editors
• Anthony Nolan finds matches for leukaemia patients who need a lifesaving transplant. For someone with leukaemia, a bone marrow transplant can be their only hope of life. We use our register, cord blood bank and research to find remarkable people who can give them that hope by donating their stem cells. By doing this, we save lives. Every day.
• The saliva kits we are using are a system called Oragene ONE, produced by Canadian company DNA Genotek. For more information visit www.dnagenotek.com
• A saliva sample of just 0.5ml is needed for a person to join the Anthony Nolan Register.
• Anthony Nolan has been piloting the new saliva kits since December 2009 and over 5000 people joined the register using the new method. Saliva testing is now being rolled out across England and Scotland.
• There are 1,400 people in the UK in need of a bone marrow transplant. This is usually their last chance of survival.
• 70% of patients will not find a matching donor from within their families.
• 80% of donations take place via PBSC (peripheral blood stem cell collection). This is an outpatient appointment and is similar to donating blood.
• Most donors talk about how wonderful it is to have saved someone’s life.
• All new donors are welcome but young males and people from ethnic minority and mixed race backgrounds are under-represented on the register.
