Sickle Cell Disease Can Improve With Bone Marrow Transplant: New Research

• New research suggests that blood vessel damage in the adult brain can be alleviated by Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT).
• Bone marrow is found in the centre of bones and contains stem cells that can transform into red or white blood cells or platelets.
• Sickle cell disease is prevalent globally; worldwide, 3 lakh babies are born with it yearly.
• The research was conducted by the National Institute of Health in Maryland, USA.
• This research will offer a potentially promising treatment for people suffering from an inherited blood cell disorder at high risk of stroke. 

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• Previous research has showcased that BMT can help prevent blood vessel damage in children with sickle cell disease.
• The study involved 87 brain scan images of adults that were studied, including those with sickle cell disease and who received BMT from 2004 to 2019.
• After that, changes in blood vessels before and after transplantations were compared. Before the transplantations, 17% of participants showed evidence of narrowed blood vessels, and 13% had bulging blood vessels.
• It was seen that blood vessel abnormalities decreased by 62% after the transplant.
• Researchers suspect that the reduction in sickle cells and the improvement of the cells' oxygen-carrying capacity led to a reduction in the number of strokes after BMT.
• Dr. John Lynch, a research physician at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Maryland, stated: "BMT will be considered more often for people with sickle cell disease and that other less invasive and potentially lifesaving treatments may be developed for people with sickle cell disease."

Source: American Heart Association News