The database is scheduled to be unveiled at the 2004 Tandem Bone Marrow Transplant Meetings in Orlando, FL. See http://www.asbmt.org/A/annual.asp?ID=1 for the meeting agenda.
With the availability of this new database, researchers can generate and test hypotheses on the role of donor matching in blood and marrow stem cell transplants. The database also provides survival rates of people who received cell grafts, helping doctors and their patients evaluate the potential risks and benefits of transplantation in treating disorders such as leukemia.
"This important new resource will make it easier for physicians to predict outcomes of blood and marrow stem cell transplants and to tailor therapies to the specific needs of their patients," says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of NIAID.
"This effort is part of a long-range plan at NIAID to develop and disseminate genetic tools that provide greater predictive value for donor matching than current methods," says Daniel Rotrosen, M.D., director of NIAID's Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation.
The database contains scientific and clinical data on the relationship between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes and transplantation. Human MHC genes encode molecules on the surface of cells commonly known as human leukocyte ant
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Contact: Paul Williams
pwilliams@niaid.nih.gov
301-402-1663
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
14-Feb-2004