Can I sell my bone marrow?
October 20, 2011 2:04 PM   Subscribe

I'd like to sell my bone marrow-- I was wondering if this was possible in my neck of the woods.

I'm really, really broke right now, and I've heard you can sell bone marrow for money. Is it possible to do this in the Atlanta, GA area? Yeah I know it's desperate... but the job search is going badly, and I need money NOW. I'm in my thirties, and I'm healthy, so I'm not concerned about being laid up in bed for a bit.
posted by anonymous to Work & Money (8 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
It's illegal in the US to sell bone marrow -- it's covered under the same laws as organ donation (though there is a group of people that think it should be covered under the same laws as blood donation, where it is legal to sell it, though generally that's only done for plasma)
posted by brainmouse at 2:10 PM on October 20, 2011


Here's a news story that's a little more clear than that link.
posted by brainmouse at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2011


Forgetting the legal side for one moment, the odds of actually matching somebody who needs a bone marrow transplant might be very very small. You might want to sell, but there could be nobody buying.
posted by Jehan at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2011


Sell your plasma instead?
posted by MangyCarface at 2:13 PM on October 20, 2011


Sadly, no. Only the incumbent medical industrial complex is permitted to profit from your tissues.
posted by Consult The Oracle at 2:13 PM on October 20, 2011 [3 favorites]


You cannot sell bone marrow for use in a bone marrow transplant. However, you can "donate" marrow for research, and receive compensation. I don't know about the Atlanta-area in particular, but you could try contacting AllCells to see if they have a collection center near you. Unfortunately, you would have to be screened before being able to donate, and I don't know how long that process is.
posted by dormouse at 3:37 PM on October 20, 2011


I wanted to suggest that clinical trials often pay cash. There are a range of studies around if you're willing to do them. They are fairly frequently looking for "normal" volunteers to be controls. I did a couple while I was working at a research hospital - mainly for friends who worked there - but knew someone who did some of the better paying ones which involved spending an overnight in the hospital and getting an MRI.

Be cautious about enrolling in a phase I or phase II trial as the safety of the involved drugs may not be well known.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:46 PM on October 20, 2011


I used to sell bone marrow to a company doing leukemia research when I lived in Berkeley, so it is definitely possible.
posted by andoatnp at 6:56 PM on October 20, 2011


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