New drama shines light on Shanghai's role in stem cell donations

The nation’s first drama about stem cell donors hit the stage in Shanghai on Friday in an effort to show respect to donors and encourage more people to take part in stem cell donation.

The drama was organized by the Shanghai branch of the Red Cross Society of China, which is also in charge of stem cell donations in the city.

Stem cell transplants are an effective treatment for 75 diseases including leukemia, some cancers and some inherited diseases. However, the match rate between patient and donor is only one in every thousand or fewer.

China started to carry out non-relative stem cell donations in the 1990s. The first transplant succeeded at Shanghai’s Huashan Hospital in August 1996.

The city has kept up its leading role in the area, establishing China's first stem cell donors’ organization in the city under local Red Cross in 1999.

So far, the stem cell donors' bank in Shanghai has achieved 467 donations, including 22 for overseas patients.