Outcomes of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplantion with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide for Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis in Patients with Severe Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hemoglobinopathy affecting 1 in every 500 African American newborns and an estimated 100,000 persons in the United States [1]. Vascular occlusion caused by the sickled RBCs leads to decreased perfusion in target organs and manifests clinically as vaso-occlusive pain crisis, stroke (cerebral infarction), pulmonary restrictive disease, and pulmonary hypertension [2]. Despite advances in supportive care, including the use of hydroxyurea (HU), RBC transfusion, and iron chelation therapy, patients with SCD continue to experience considerable morbidity and mortality in their lifetime.
Source: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research