Bone marrow transplants can cure sickle cell disease in some patients. Research on the condition has advanced other areas of medicine including
genetics and molecular biology
. Researchers have learned that periodic blood transfusions in children at high risk of stroke help reduce the risk of having a first stroke.
What current research is being done to develop a cure for sickle cell anemia?
Currently, the only treatment that can offer a potential cure for sickle cell disease is
stem cell transplantation
. The procedure aims to replace the stem cells in the bone marrow — the source of new red blood cells — with healthy stem cells from a matching donor.
Is there research being done on sickle cell anemia?
Much research has been done on using gene therapy to cure sickle cell disease
, and recently some progress has been made. Researchers involved in one gene therapy clinical trial were able to make sickle cells switch back to normal.
Who did research on sickle cell anemia?
Linus Pauling
discovers that sickle cell disease is caused by an abnormal hemoglobin. Vernon Ingram discovers that a change in one amino acid in hemoglobin S causes sickling.
How do scientists treat sickle cell anemia?
Gene therapy
involves withdrawing the patient's own bone-marrow stem cells and using a viral vector to add a normal copy of the beta-globulin gene to the sickle stem cells. The modified stem cells are then reinfused into the patient, who then produces normal, disc-shaped red blood cells.
Can you be cured of sickle cell?
Stem cell or bone marrow transplants are the only cure for sickle cell disease
, but they're not done very often because of the significant risks involved. Stem cells are special cells produced by bone marrow, a spongy tissue found in the centre of some bones.
How long do people with sickle cell live?
Results: Among children and adults with sickle cell anemia (homozygous for sickle hemoglobin), the median age at death was
42 years for males and 48 years for females
. Among those with sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease, the median age at death was 60 years for males and 68 years for females.
What is the future of sickle cell anemia?
The Future of Sickle Cell Disease
Trials using
new bone marrow and stem-cell transplant procedures
have cured a small number of some adults with sickle cell disease. More research is needed to understand possible health implications of sickle cell trait. A new gene finding could lead to breakthrough therapies.
When did they find a cure for sickle cell anemia?
In
2011
, Chicagoan Iesha Thomas became the first patient in the Midwest to successfully receive a stem cell transplant to cure sickle cell. Thomas Thomas had her first sickle cell crisis when she was just 8 months old.
How is sickle cell anemia diagnosed?
Sickle cell anemia is usually diagnosed
through genetic screening done when a baby is born
. Those test results will likely be given to your family doctor or pediatrician. He or she will likely refer you to a doctor who specializes in blood disorders (hematologist) or a pediatric hematologist.
What famous person has sickle cell anemia?
Miles Davis
The legendary Jazz musician was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia in 1961, according to his biography written by Jennifer Warner.
Who does sickle cell affect the most?
Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is most common among people whose ancestors come
from Africa
; Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy; the Arabian Peninsula; India; and Spanish-speaking regions in South America, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean.
Is sickle cell disease a death sentence?
The Head, Department of Medicine at the General Hospital, Ijede, Dr. Ogo-Oluwa Adeyemi, has asserted that
Sickle Cell Disorder is not a death sentence
as those diagnosed with sickle cell disease have the tendency of living longer than expected due to improvement in medical and personal care. Dr.
Is gene therapy a cure for sickle cell?
“In this study, the gene therapy will introduce healthy genes into the body with the goal of correcting genetic abnormalities of red blood cells. By enabling the cells to produce more fetal hemoglobin, this treatment has the
potential to cure sickle cell disease
in a precise way.”
What are some support groups for sickle cell anemia?
- Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. …
- Sickle Cell 101. …
- Sick Cells. …
- Sickle Cell Community Consortium. …
- BoldPlus.
What causes sickle cell anemia?
Sickle cell anemia is caused by
a mutation in the gene that tells your body
to make the iron-rich compound that makes blood red and enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs throughout your body (hemoglobin).
