Regular blood donors may receive more than just the satisfaction of helping others—giving blood might actually improve their own blood cell health. Research suggests that frequent donation stimulates the growth of beneficial blood cells, potentially reducing the risk of blood cancer.
A study led by Hector Huerga Encabo at the Francis Crick Institute in London analyzed blood samples from 217 men in Germany, aged 60-72, who had donated blood over 100 times. Compared to 212 men who had donated fewer than 10 times, frequent donors were more likely to have blood cells with beneficial mutations in a gene called DNMT3A.
To explore this, researchers engineered human blood stem cells with these mutations and observed their growth in lab conditions. They introduced EPO, a hormone naturally released by the body after blood loss, to mimic the effects of donation. Remarkably, cells with the DNMT3A mutations grew 50% faster than unmodified cells—but only in the presence of EPO.
Further tests showed that these donor-enhanced cells were better at outcompeting cells with mutations linked to leukemia. This suggests that frequent blood donation might favor the growth of healthier blood cells, suppressing potentially harmful ones.
“It’s like blood donation is acting as a selection pressure, improving the fitness of your stem cells,” says Ash Toye of the University of Bristol. However, researchers caution that more studies are needed across diverse populations to confirm these findings. Even so, it seems that donating blood could be a win-win—for both recipients and donor.
