TEHRAN — Iran’s stem cell bank will boost its capacity to 1,000 within the next three years, says the head of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, Fars reported on Monday.

Iran has made a great progress in employing bone marrow stem cells in treating blood disorders, Fars quoted Ali Akbar Pour-Fathollah as saying.

When there is no match among the patients’ first-degree blood relatives for the transplant the patient should refer to the stem cell banks, Pour-Fathollah remarked.

“However, unfortunately we don’t have a comprehensive stem cell bank,” he said, adding, “In an attempt to fulfill the needs of Iran’s stem cell bank we invite volunteers to donate their stem cells to help us empower the bank.”

“Currently Blood Transfusion Organization, Shariati Hospital and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences can receive 80 samples a day which is not enough to meet our needs,” Pour-Fathollah explained.

With 1,000 volunteers Iran will be able to enter global network of stem cell banks and with the exchange of samples can fully provide the patients with stem cells, he said.

With budget allocation, the bank will publically start to encourage and invite people to donate their stem cells, said the official.

“On the 25 anniversary of the first bone marrow transplant in Iran in March, we are going to mark a day as stem cell donation day as well,” he stated.

MQ/PA