Namseoul University Receives Plaque of Appreciation for Promoting Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation Culture

Campaign to Register Prospective Donors Launched Since 2013

Namseoul University announced on April 18 that it received a plaque of appreciation from the Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank in recognition of its efforts to promote the culture of hematopoietic stem cell donation.

Led by the Department of Nursing, Namseoul University conducted a campaign to register prospective hematopoietic stem cell donors from April 7 to 8, with a total of 144 people registering as donors, an achievement that was acknowledged by the bank.

Since 2013, the university has carried out similar campaigns, resulting in a total of 1,137 faculty members and students registering as prospective donors. Among them, 11 individuals have saved the lives of patients whose human leukocyte antigens (HLA) matched theirs.

Professor Kim Sookhee of the Department of Nursing stated, "Continuous efforts are needed to promote hematopoietic stem cell donation," and added, "We will continue to carry out various social contribution activities so that talents in the health and medical fields can internalize and practice the spirit of sharing life."

Meanwhile, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can only be performed if a donor with matching HLA is found.

The probability of HLA matching among siblings is 25%, while the probability among unrelated individuals is 1 in 20,000. As of the end of last year, 6,994 people were waiting for a transplant.