Treatments for Sickle Cell Anemia
For a small percentage of people with sickle cell anemia, the disease can be cured through bone marrow transplants. This is when the patient's bone marrow is replaced with a donor's bone marrow that has healthy hemoglobin. Most often this procedure is only done in young children with very severe sickle cell anemia due to the risk factors, which can include death. Also, it is difficult to find the right donor for the transplant.
Since a bone marrow transplant is not realistic for many with sickle cell anemia, many medications and treatments can be used to prevent the symptoms of sickle cell anemia.
Medications
- Antibiotics to prevent infection
- Hydroxyurea, which is a medication that makes the body create the hemoglobin found in newborns. This helps stop cells from becoming sickle.
- Pain relievers to help repress pain caused by the disease
- Specific medications to relieve symptoms like ulcers on legs and acute chest syndrome
Other Treatments
- Immunizations to stop frequent infections
- Blood transfusions to increase healthy red blood cell count
Recent Research
- Gene therapy: Researchers have been experimenting to see whether they can insert the gene for normal hemoglobin production into the bone marrow of a person with sickle cell anemia. Theoretically, this would cause the body to produce healthy hemoglobin. Scientists have also been testing to see if they could "switch off" the sickle cell gene and "switch on" a gene that will produce normal hemoglobin.
- Nitric Oxide: This gas works to open up blood vessels and stop cells from sticking together. People who have sickle cell anemia have low levels of nitric oxide, so treatments with this gas may prevent the clumping of cells.
- Medications that cause the production of fetal hemoglobin: Fetal hemoglobin is the hemoglobin in newborns, which is not sickle shaped. Multiple drugs are being produced that could increase the production of this type of hemoglobin in people with sickle cell anemia, which could increase the healthy red blood cell count.