Bone of contention: marrow match money.

• Author: Mangu-Ward, Katherine
• Position: Citings - Amit Gupta - Brief article

WHEN TECH entrepreneur Amit Gupta was diagnosed with acute leukemia, a couple of his (wealthy) friends sprang into action, offering $10,000 each for a donation of the genetically compatible bone marrow needed to treat Gupta's condition. Their generosity exposed them to the risk of fines and up to five years in prison.

These days, donating bone marrow isn't so bad. In most cases, you no longer have to go under anesthesia. Nor does anyone stick a giant needle in your hipbone. Instead, a cheek swab determines whether you are a match, then you are given drugs so that your body overproduces the useful stem cells needed to treat leukemia and other conditions, which are shed into the bloodstream and easily extracted from blood drawn through a relatively nonscary needle in the arm, just like a normal blood donation.

The offer made by Gupta's friends was nevertheless illegal. The National Organ Transplant...