NIH Sickle Cell Cord Blood Research Program

Current Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease

Transplantation is one way doctors have cured patients with sickle cell disease. Transplantation is when doctors replace the blood-making cells in a person who has a blood disease with blood-making cells that do not have the blood disease. The "good" blood-making cells usually have been donated from a family member who has the same type of blood, (but doesn't have the disease) or else from someone whose blood is very similar to the patient. These special cells can come from a person’s bone marrow or peripheral blood. Doctors choose the donor that has the closest match, this way the newly transplanted blood-making cells won't be rejected or cause other problems for the patient. The new blood making cells then begin to manufacture blood without the sickling red cells and the patient is "cured". The obstacle to offering this treatment to all sickle cell disease sufferers is finding the right donor for the transplant patient; it can take years and sometimes it is an impossible task.

 

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