What We Do

A smiling woman with long blond hair is bending down and looking at her little daughter with blond hair and a pink dress. The girl is smiling softly and looking slightly to the right side. The mood is warm and joyful, with other people blurred in the background.

A holistic approach to fight blood cancer

Every 27 seconds someone, somewhere in the world is diagnosed with a blood cancer or blood disorder. For many, a stem cell transplantation is the only hope for survival. Chances of finding a genetic match or even affording such a procedure vary across the globe - and at the same time a long-term cure is dependent on many different factors. That is why we extended the scope of our activities to pursue a more holistic approach, organized into three pillars.

1. Boost Stem Cell Donations: With stem cell donor centers in seven countries across five continents, we are constantly registering potential lifesavers and are increasing the ethnic diversity of our donor pool. Through this work we are raising awareness about blood cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders. Find out more here.

An emotional moment as two patients embrace tightly. One bald man, on the left, wearing a white shirt and has tattoos on his right arm; the other man, on the right, with white hair and a purple shirt, is closing his eyes during the hug. A vending machine is visible in the background.

2. Improve Access to Transplantation: We are committed to improving the treatment options available to affected patients within the framework of international support programs and by providing access to stem cell transplantation in low- and middle-income countries. Find out more here.

A smiling young Indian girl with dark curly hair, wearing a white dress with pink and blue floral patterns, raises her right arm cheerfully. She is sitting indoors near a railing, and a bottle and colorful clothing are partially visible on the left side.

3. Advance Research & Development: In order to improve the chances of recovery for patients, we are also active as a scientific research organization in the field of blood cancer and stem cell donation and transplantation. Furthermore, we support groundbreaking research and honor outstanding scientific achievements in the field of stem cell transplantation. Find out more here.

A lab technician wearing green protective gloves and a light blue lab coat is placing a metal rack filled with labeled sample containers into a laboratory device. A DKMS Life Science Lab instruction sheet is visible on the glass of the laboratory device, and a computer screen is in the background.

What We Do:

  • We create awareness about blood cancer and blood disorders, as well as their treatments.
  • We recruit stem cell donors to give a second chance at life to those in need of a stem cell transplant.
  • We motivate the general public, universities, and companies to organize registration events and raise awareness and funds for the cause.
  • We help to improve the treatment of hematological diseases through our research and the state-of-the-art technology in our laboratory.
  • We support groundbreaking research projects by providing annual grants for talented young scientists in the field of cell therapy and transplantation.
  • We honor outstanding physicians and scientists who have dedicated their lives to advancing the understanding and development of cell therapy and transplantation.
  • We maintain our donor relationship from day one of registration through their stem cell donation and beyond.
  • We support patients and non-profit organizations in low- and middle-income countries to increase access to treatment for patients in need.
  • We raise funds to finance our life-saving activities from providing matching donors, facilitating Access to Transplantation, and Research & Development.


Our Three Pillars
Our efforts to give as many blood cancer patients as possible a second chance at life are based on three pillars.
A smiling man wearing black glasses and a checkered blue shirt is sitting to the left of a little girl in a white dress with a red sash. Both are happily looking at the camera with their arms around each other.
Boost Stem Cell Donations
A little Indian girl, who is smiling and wearing a pink hoodie, is standing next to a woman of whom only one arm and the hand are visible. The woman is holding some clothes in her hand. In the background, people in colorful clothing can be seen.
Improve Access to Transplantation
A female employee at the DKMS Life Science Lab, with brown hair in a bun, wearing a light blue lab coat and green protective gloves is working in the laboratory. She is holding a yellow stack of sample containers and placing them into a machine. The background is blurred.
Advance Research & Development