NSU’s V. Zelman Institute for Medicine and Psychology (ZIMP) has signed a cooperative agreement with the Siberian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. On February 2, a working meeting was held between Nina Dolgova, Senior Lecturer, and Ekaterina Kuznetsova, Executive Director of the Siberian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Under the agreement, not only University students and staff, but any resident in the Novosibirsk Region can become a potential bone marrow donor. The Center is located at Lyapunova Street 6, and is open from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays.
Nina Dolgova talked about the importance of the Registry,
Bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells are a unique material. When transplanted to a recipient, even in small quantities, they are able to fully restore hematopoiesis and immunity. Due to genetic differences, the most suitable donor for a Russian patient is a Russian, and not an American or European. The more donors with Russian blood that are listed in the bone marrow donor registries, the more chances people with Russian roots will have to find a suitable donor. We learned about the Siberian Bone Marrow Donor Registry from Andrey Pokrovsky, ZIMP Director. As medical workers, we are happy to support the initiative because we understand the importance of as many people as possible making bone marrow donations.
Bone marrow and peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an effective method for treating malignant blood diseases and the serious side effects caused by bone marrow suppression from radiation, chemotherapy, or exposure to toxic substances. It is the follow-up procedure when standard chemoradiotherapy and operations are not sufficiently effective and it is impossible to achieve remission of the disease any other way. Unfortunately, quite often relatives are not compatible to serve as suitable donors for a loved one. In this case, the malfunctioning bone marrow is replaced with donated bone marrow.
Today, NSU’s ZIMP regularly conducts Donor Days with the Blood Center. Information posters have been developed to promote the Bone Marrow Registry. Employees and students receive information about all the ways they can support volunteer medical movements when they receive vaccinations or visit doctors, as well as from the NSU Student Trade Union. ZIMP is the first, and so far the only, platform for residents of the Novosibirsk Region to become potential donors.
It is worth noting that in December 2021, 10 NSU staff members and students at the NSU Institute for the Humanities donated biomaterial after an open lecture, «Bone Marrow Donation: Scary, Painful and Dangerous?». Ekaterina Kuznetsova plans to conduct more of these educational events to provide an opportunity for more people in the University community to become potential bone marrow donors.
