What Are the Treatments Aimed at Sickle-Cell Disease Itself?
Research is ongoing toward identifying the biologic and chemical activities that promote or protect against the sickle-cell process. Currently, experimental treatments focus on the basic processes that cause the red blood cells to sickle in the first place. There are three basic modes of treatment: 1. stimulation of production of healthy fetal hemoglobin in order to inhibit the sickling process 2. blocking dehydration in the cells 3. transplantation of bone marrow from healthy donors so that normal hemoglobin is produced rather than hemoglobin S Gene therapy is also being studied, although effective treatments of this kind are still years away. Stimulation of Fetal Hemoglobin In all people, the hemoglobin in the fetus and young infant called hemoglobin F is different from the hemoglobin in the growing child and adult. Infants with sickle-cell disease do not develop symptoms of the illness while they still have hemoglobin F. Adults who have sickle-cell disease but still retain high leve
