Could Nick Cannon Use His 12 Kids as Bone Marrow Donors? Here’s What Science Says

With six baby mamas and a dozen children, Nick Cannon has been the subject of much internet conversation over the years, but the Wild ‘n Out creator is at the center of a wilder conspiracy theory that sounds less like an improv comedy skit and more like a sequel to “Get Out.”

The television host and actor, who is not afraid to voice his own controversial opinions, took to his podcast to respond to a video accusing him of having 12 kids so he can “get like bone marrow or something from them and it won’t hurt them.”

Posting his response to his Instagram page, the 45-year-old looked at the camera and asked, “So I’m just out here collecting bone marrow?” Then he joked, “They’re on to me. They figured it out,” concluding with an evil laugh.

Cannon was joking about the accusation, but could using your own children for bone marrow even work? Let’s break down the facts.

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The theory is based on Cannon’s very real health battle. He was diagnosed with lupus kidney disease, also called lupus nephritis (LN), in 2012. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissues. When it targets the kidneys, it can cause anything from blood in the urine to kidney failure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

WebMD notes that Black Americans with lupus are more likely to develop lupus nephritis. While a combination of medication and a healthy lifestyle helps most people do well, 10 to 30 percent will still need regular dialysis or a kidney transplant at some point.

Here’s where the science comes in. Bone marrow is a spongy tissue inside certain bones that contains stem cells responsible for producing healthy blood cells and supporting the immune system. Because lupus causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, researchers have explored whether stem cell transplants can “reset” the immune system in severe cases.

Bone marrow transplants are primarily used for patients with certain cancers, such as leukemia, and immune deficiency disorders, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. There are two main types of transplants: autologous and allogeneic. Autologous stem cell transplants use the patient’s own stem cells, and allogeneic stem cell transplants use stem cells from a donor. In donor transplants, doctors compare human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers between the donor and the recipient. A 10/10 match means all of the key HLA markers match.

Because it carries life-threatening risks, doctors consider stem cell transplantation as a last-resort option for severe lupus cases when conventional therapies fail. A 2022 study published in Rheumatology and Immunology Research found that stem cell transplantation helped participants achieve clinical remission, but there is a major catch: most successful studies, including a Stanford University clinical trial, used patients’ own harvested stem cells, not donor cells.

That brings us back to the internet theory. A child could donate to a parent in theory, but the odds aren’t exactly in Cannon’s favor. Because children inherit half of their HLA markers from each parent, they are typically only half-matched (haploidentical) donors for their parents, rather than the ideal 10/10 match, which can reduce complications.

Additionally, using a donor’s stem cells for someone with an autoimmune disease is an extremely risky and specialized procedure. A study published in the journal Lupus found that while researchers are exploring allogeneic transplants for severe cases, life-threatening complications like Graft vs. Host Disease, where the body attacks the transplant cells, remain an issue.

Cannon’s best strategy may be to continue following his standard care plan, healthy habits and regular monitoring. While the bone marrow theory makes for an interesting Hollywood script, current transplant science says that’s not how this works.