New Sickle Cell Cure Research Welcomed by Patients
Published: January 13, 2006
People who suffer from the ‘incurable’ sickle cell anaemia have been given hope by successful US research which used embryonic stem cells to correct the genetic abnormality which causes the blood disorder.
It was done by a team at the University of California, San Francisco who treated the condition in mice using stems cells carrying the human sickle cell mutation (abnormal haemoglobin which cause poor circulation), that was then replaced by healthy haemoglobin gene.
Sickle cell is caused when red blood cells are a sickle shape instead of a normal round shape. This causes problems with the circulation of oxygen around the body.
The condition affects people of African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian descent with 6,000 people affected in Britain.
Fortune Esimaje, 40, from North West London has been living with sickle cell since the age of 6 and hails the new discovery, she said: “It would be fantastic if they found a cure, anything for a normal life.
“It’s very difficult to have to watch what you eat, watch where you sleep. Just sleeping alone can create pain because you must make sure you don’t sleep on your arms for too long because blood circulation.
“If it gets stuck then you could be in crises,” she explains.
A Crises is severe attack of pain, over time attacks may result in damage to vital organs such as the lungs, kidney, liver, heart.
Sickle cell patients have to be aware of their body and what is not normal.
When sickle-shaped blood cells stick to the walls of the tiny blood vessels in the brain it can cause a stroke. Miss Esimaje advices anyone with sickle cell to detect attacks early and contact their doctor quickly, before the attack develops into a full stroke.
“I was ill in November 2004 and went into the hospital because I was feeling dizzy and couldn’t see.
“They said I had a mild stroke and had to give me exchange transfusion. That [strokes] happens to a lot of people regularly but fortunately for me it has only happened once in the last fifteen years, she explained.
“As a ‘sickler’ the most important thing I believe, is you have to be aware of your body and what is not normal. When something is not normal take immediate action by going to see the doctor and that way you can prevent a lot of things.”
Miss Esimaje says ‘sicklers’ have to drinks three litres of water if they can, they have to watch their alcohol consumption and try not to smoke regularly; they should get a good nights sleep and basically keep calm.
“I’m coping with it but sometimes it gets very distressing and annoying because there are certain things you’d like to do like go skiing but you can’t because by nature of the illness you’re meant to keep warm,” she adds.
Sickle cell is inherited when both parents have a defect gene. Sickle-shaped red blood cells make it hard for oxygen to be carried around the body to its organs – this in turn causes anaemia, pain and infections.
Severe attacks must be controlled with blood transfusions – to cure them patients have to receive a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor.
The new study results we’re published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More research will have to be done so the technique is transferred into patient trials.
The Sickle cell society is a charity which supports people with the condition. A spokesman said: “Any research has to be a good thing. Sickle cell is a medical condition that is very debilitating.
“It affects mainly people from African Caribbean background who have to deal with health and social implications.
“It’s good that there’s hope for people with sickle cell and I think patients will look up to this and greet it with open arms. We look forward to following the research so we can say at last there is a cure.”
• See also : Gene therapy may cure 2 blood diseases
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