Students can 'make a real difference' with cheek swab at UNB stem cell event
Sam Farley | CBC News | Posted: February 4, 2025 1:27 PM | Last Updated: February 4
Stem cells from young people can save lives, Canadian Blood Services says
With 1,000 Canadian patients waiting for lifesaving stem cell transplants, university students in Fredericton are being asked this week to help give them a better chance of survival.
Canadian Blood Services has been hosting a Swab at School event at the University of New Brunswick campus to register students to be stem cell donors.
Adrian White of the Canadian Blood Services said the campaign targets students because people between the ages of 17 and 35 make the best stem cell donors. They're a diverse group and their stem cells lead to better patient outcomes, he said.
"They're in a prime position to make a real difference," White said in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton. "So by joining the registry, they could be somebody's only chance at survival."
The blood service says stem cells, or immature cells, are used in the treatment of more than 80 diseases and disorders, including some that are life-threatening.
White said a major challenge for the blood service is diversity. Patients have the best chance of finding a match with someone from the same ethnic background.
People who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic or of mixed-race heritage make up only about a third of the Canadian stem cell registry, "which means patients from these communities face more difficulty finding a donor."
People who wish to join the stem cell registry only have to swab the inside of their cheek to collect a sample, which Canadian Blood Services will then test.
If a match is found, then the person is asked to return for a blood donation so that stem cells can be skimmed out.
In rare cases, donors might also be asked to give a bone marrow sample, he said.
It's all part of a push to make sure Canadian transplant patients find the matches they need.
"So please come and see me," White said. "Come swab up."
The process takes about 15 minutes. The UNB event continues Tuesday at the Wu Conference Centre in Fredericton from noon to 8 p.m.