Change to the Definition of “Human Organ” Under Section 301 of the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984

Resumen

This notice seeks public comment on the proposed change in the definition of "human organ" in section 301 of the National Organ and Transplant Act of 1984, as amended, (NOTA) to explicitly incorporate hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) within peripheral blood in the definition of "bone marrow." This would clarify that the prohibition on transfers of human organs for valuable consideration applies to HSCs regardless of whether they were recovered directly from bone marrow (by aspiration) or from peripheral blood (by apheresis). This amendment will also conform section 301 to the provisions of the Stem Cell Research and Therapeutic Act of 2005, as amended.