The drug cyclophosphamide prevented bone marrow transplant complications for patients with "mismatched" donors, according to a study published July 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Nineteen researchers from hospitals, medical schools and cancer centers across the country worked with the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research for the study.
They analyzed data from 10,025 bone marrow transplants and found similar outcomes for matched and mismatched bone marrow recipients who received cyclophosphamide post-transplant.
A matched donor carries eight human leukocyte antigen markers identical to the recipient. A mismatched donor carries less than eight identical markers.
Data came from patients who received bone marrow transplants for acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes and reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research between 2017 and 2021.
The findings reflect a potential increase in bone marrow donors for patients from all racial and ethnic groups.