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Short answer: the NMDP registry is the donor and cord blood unit (CBU) registry operated by NMDP, formerly the National Marrow Donor Program and later Be The Match. A patient’s transplant team, not the patient, searches it for HLA-matched unrelated donors or cord blood units. This page explains what it is, who runs it, how a search is structured and how it differs from an organ donor list. It is general information, not medical advice.
What is the NMDP registry (the National Marrow Donor Program)?
NMDP describes itself as a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy. It was founded in 1987 and began in a small office at the American Red Cross in St. Paul, Minnesota; according to NMDP’s About page, 10,000 people responded in its first year. The organization was formerly known as the National Marrow Donor Program and as Be The Match, so older articles, referrals and hospital paperwork may use either name for the same organization (NMDP About page, read 2026-11-07).
The registry is the searchable pool of potential unrelated blood stem cell donors and cord blood units that transplant teams use when a patient needs a matched donor. For the clinical background of the blood diseases involved, see our guide to what hematology is and the overview of oncology.
Who runs it and what it covers
NMDP states that it is entrusted and under contract to operate the federally authorized C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (NMDP registry page, read 2026-11-07). Its published milestones include a cord blood transplant program launched in 1998, an NMDP Research Sample Repository built in 2001, and a research program (CIBMTR) created with the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2004. NMDP reports that its work has supported more than 150,000 lives since 1987, including 8,879 in 2025.
On scale, NMDP’s registry page gives one figure: more than 43 million potential donors are available for searches on registries worldwide. That figure counts registries worldwide, not NMDP alone, so it should not be quoted as the size of the NMDP registry itself.
Who does what
| Party | Role as described by NMDP |
|---|---|
| Patient’s transplant team | Tests the patient’s blood for HLA type, tests full siblings, and works with NMDP to search for matched unrelated donors or cord blood units. The team starts the search; the patient does not look for a donor. |
| NMDP | Operates the registry and the search services for transplant centers; contracted to operate the federal C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. |
| CIBMTR | The research program created with the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2004; NMDP’s Search Prognosis Tool is described as an external CIBMTR scoring system. |
| NMDP Research Sample Repository | Built in 2001 as NMDP’s research sample collection. |
How a registry search works
Searches are requested by transplant centers through NMDP’s network services, so the steps below describe the clinical workflow at the level NMDP publishes, not a procedure for patients or donors.
- HLA typing and sibling testing. The transplant team tests the patient’s blood for HLA type and tests full siblings. NMDP says HLA typing results can take as little as 1 to 2 weeks.
- Preliminary Search. The center submits a preliminary search request and interprets the results. NMDP’s services list also offers Search Strategy Advice and a Search Prognosis Tool.
- Formal Search. A formal search offers routine and customized typing options. A formal search can be cancelled, reactivated or transferred to another recipient record, and confirmatory typing of CBUs and related donor sample collection for HLA typing are available through the search and testing forms.
- Donor readiness. Search results in NMDP MatchSource include a Donor Readiness Score.
- International searches. NMDP provides international searches and workup, with international donor registry and cord blood bank information and forms.
- Cord blood. A Cord Blood Consultation Service supports teams considering CBUs. For the collection side, see our guide to the cord blood collection kit.
NMDP states that from the start of a search to transplant usually takes about 3 months (NMDP registry page, read 2026-11-07).
Glossary of the interface terms
| Term | Meaning on NMDP’s services pages |
|---|---|
| CBU | Cord blood unit; can be typed for confirmation through the search forms. |
| Preliminary Search | A request for a first look at potential matches, with results the center interprets. |
| Formal Search | The fuller search with routine or customized typing options. |
| Donor Readiness Score | A score shown in NMDP MatchSource search results. |
| Search Prognosis Tool | An external CIBMTR scoring system linked from the services page. |
Strengths and limits
- Strength: one entry point reaches unrelated donors and cord blood units, and NMDP offers international searches through the same services.
- Strength: it sits inside a federal program framework, since NMDP operates the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program under contract.
- Limit: the audience for the search services is transplant centers; individuals cannot run a search on their own behalf.
- Limit: the published figures mix scopes. The 43 million figure covers registries worldwide, and the 150,000 lives figure is a cumulative impact measure, not a registry size.
- Limit: timing is a range, not a guarantee: about 3 months from start of search to transplant is described as usual.
Alternatives and parallel routes
| Route | What NMDP says |
|---|---|
| Full-sibling donor | Full siblings are tested alongside the patient at the start. |
| Matched unrelated donor | Found by the transplant team working with NMDP to search the registry. |
| Cord blood unit | Searched in the same process, with confirmatory typing and a consultation service. |
| Other national registries | Covered by NMDP’s international searches and workup; the 43 million figure counts registries worldwide. |
Related reading on specimen collections: biobank, and on blood handling, irradiation of blood products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the National Marrow Donor Program?
It is the original name of NMDP, founded in 1987. The organization later used the name Be The Match and now operates as NMDP, a nonprofit that runs the donor and cord blood registry and operates the federal C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program under contract.
What is the Gift of Life?
It is not a name NMDP has used; NMDP’s names have been National Marrow Donor Program, Be The Match and NMDP. The phrase is used by other organizations and campaigns, so check which one a source means before assuming it refers to NMDP.
How do I check whether I am on the organ donor list?
The NMDP registry is not an organ donor list. Organ donation is run through separate organ donation systems, and NMDP’s pages do not describe a way to check organ donor status. Use the organ donor registration source where you originally registered.
How many employees does NMDP have?
NMDP’s About page gives its history and impact figures but no staff headcount, so this page does not state one.
Where do I find the NMDP sign-in?
Transplant centers use the NMDP network site (network.nmdp.org) for search and testing forms; patient and donor information is on nmdp.org.
Sources
- NMDP, About us: https://www.nmdp.org/about-us (read 2026-11-07)
- NMDP, NMDP registry (patients and families): https://www.nmdp.org/patients-and-families/before-transplant/find-a-donor/nmdp-registry (read 2026-11-07)
- NMDP Network, Search services for transplant centers: https://network.nmdp.org/services-support/transplant-centers/search-services (read 2026-11-07)
