The science of HLA matching is a rapidly advancing and evolving field with new alleles discovered nearly every day. As a result, the current naming convention for HLA nomenclature is quickly reaching or exceeding capacity to name these newly discovered alleles.
To accommodate the naming of HLA alleles in the future, the Nomenclature Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new format of HLA nomenclature on April 1, 2010.
NMDP systems have been updated to accept the new version of HLA nomenclature. To ensure a smooth and efficient transition, our systems will accept the new and will continue to accept the current version of HLA nomenclature until April 2011.
Overview
View a 2-page summary (PDF) of the key changes and learn how your transplant center can transition to the new format.
HLA Nomenclature Training
In March 2010, NMDP offered training sessions to review specific implications of the HLA nomenclature changes in the transplant center and cord blood bank settings. View these sessions:
In November 2009, information and updates about the new version of HLA nomenclature was presented by Michelle Setterholm, NMDP Director of Scientific Services. View this presentation to learn more about the changes:
HLA Nomenclature Resources
Access additional HLA nomenclature resources below:
- hla.alleles.org – This Web site provides detailed information about the new version of HLA nomenclature.
- DNA Type Look-up Tool - This tool helps to identify or expand a specific NMDP allele code, which may be used when reporting HLA typing results or when evaluating associated allele combinations.
- bioinformatics.nmdp.org – This Web site provides detailed HLA allele code information.
- groups.google.com/group/nmdp-hla-nomenclature-conversion - This Google Group provides a forum for asking questions, raising issues and replying to posts about the new version of HLA nomenclature.
More Information
If you need further information, please contact
new-nomenclature@nmdp.org.