Customer Story: Automation at DKMS LIFE SCIENCE LAB

DKMS LIFE SCIENCE LAB relies on a unique CMV analysis method and flexible automation solutions to match leukemia patients with the best possible stem cell donors.

Every 35 seconds great misfortune strikes, because every 35 seconds a patient is diagnosed as having leukemia. A long and difficult wait for a stem cell donor begins for those who are affected. Hundreds of thousands of patients are searching worldwide. The process of matching patients with donors is difficult. Simply having an identical blood type is not enough. Many other genetic parameters must match in order for a stem cell transplant to succeed.

Consequently, things are running at full steam in DKMS LIFE SCIENCE LAB in Dresden; thousands of samples of potential stem cell donors are analysed here every day. Highly-detailed donor profiles are generated from the data obtained from the laboratory analyses. The information is fed into the DKMS stem cell donor database; with over 9 million donor profiles, it is the largest global database of its kind. DKMS gGmbH brings donors and patients together all over the world. Thanks to the detailed profiles provided by the laboratory, the probability of successful stem cell transplantation increases enormously. In addition to the 12 HLA profile characteristics (HLA – human leukocytes antigens), many other markers are being analysed. One of them is the CMV status (CMV – cytomegalovirus) of potential donors. Selecting a donor who has CMV status compatible with the patient reduces the risk of additional complications.

In order to automate a new, internationally unique CMV genotyping method, DKMS trusted in the expertise of Analytik Jena