Sickle cell anemia

 

 

Sickle cell anemia

Sickle-cell disease is inherited in autosomal-recessive way. The disease is characterized by a genetic defect, which results in impaired formation of the normal chain of hemoglobin in red blood cells. Abnormal hemoglobin is characterized by its electrophysiological properties of healthy human hemoglobin. As a result, erythrocytes change and acquire an elongated shape.

Where it spreads
Sickle cell anemia?

This disease is particularly prevalent in
Africa and America among the Negroes and the countries of the Middle East and Mediterranean countries and some
Areas of India

Major symptoms of the disease:

The patient with sickle-cell disease is suffering severe pain attacks which disappear after the use of strong painkillers (morphine), which leads to addiction to these medications. After some time the attacks of blood circulation disorders occur because of the constant thrombosis and reactive changes of the bone marrow. It leads to the injuries of skeleton, joints, functions of the important vital organs (liver, pancreas, kidneys, spleen) and, as a result, to the early disability.

The main problem of the disease is an absence of the effective methods of treatment as the main reason of it is the genetic defect of hemoglobin which leads to the serious physic-chemical changes in hemoglobin and red blood cells. The disorders of the following functions occur:

– transfer of the oxygen – air hunger that leads to severe pain

– change of the red blood cell form – vascular occlusion

– affection of blood supply of the liver, pancreas, kidneys – development of insufficiency

– compensatory enlargement of the brain – disorders of musculoskeletal system

Treatment of sickle cell disease in our stem cell center

Obviously, genetic reasons of the disease indicate that effective methods of treatment can be developed only with the appearance of genetic therapy. Nowadays the use of fetal stem cells is the only efficient way of sickle-cell disease treatment.

The therapy helps to compensate the disease and achieve the remission for the period from 1 to several years, decrease of painkillers and duration of hospitalization and increase of life.

The course of treatment includes complete examination of organs and intravenous infusions of fetal stem cells and lasts 3 days.