Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness Month
How Cord Blood Offers Hope for a Cure
September marks Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about a disease that affects thousands of Americans each year. While this inherited blood disorder impacts many families across the country, remarkable advances in treatment - particularly involving cord blood stem cells - are transforming the outlook for patients with this condition.
Understanding Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. It occurs when a person inherits two abnormal genes (one from each parent) that cause their red blood cells to form an abnormal crescent or “sickle” shape. These misshapen cells:
- Don’t move easily through blood vessels
- Can block blood flow, causing pain and organ damage
- Die early, leading to a constant shortage of red blood cells (anemia)
Individuals with sickle cell disease often require regular blood transfusions to manage their condition and prevent serious complications like stroke, organ damage, and severe pain crises. Regular blood transfusions can become a lifeline, providing healthy red blood cells when the body cannot produce enough of its own. However, while transfusions help manage symptoms, a stem cell transplant for Sickle Cell Anemia offers the possibility of a potential cure.
Cord Blood Banking as a Potential Resource for Sickle Cell Therapy
Amid the challenges of living with sickle cell anemia, cord blood stem cell therapy has emerged as a possible treatment option and potentially a cure. Cord blood banking services, such as those offered by ViaCord, provide families with the opportunity to preserve umbilical cord blood for potential future medical use.
Understanding Cord Blood Collection and Storage
Cord blood banking involves collecting blood that remains in the umbilical cord after the baby is born and storing it for potential future medical use. This blood is valuable because it’s rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which can develop into various types of blood and immune system cells.
Sibling Connection Program
ViaCord’s Sibling Connection Program allows families with a child who has a qualifying medical condition, including sickle cell disease, to store cord blood from a newborn full sibling at no cost to them. This program recognizes that cord blood stem cells from a qualifying sibling can potentially be a suitable match for transplantation in a child with sickle cell anemia, offering these families access to potentially life-changing stem cell transplants for the treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia.
How Cord Blood Banking Helps Sickle Cell Patients
Cord blood stem cells can be used to treat nearly 80 different medical conditions, with Sickle Cell Anemia being a condition that benefits from this therapy. The treatment process works as follows:
- Collection and Storage: At birth, cord blood is collected and then preserved for potential future medical use.
- Stem Cell Transplant: When needed, doctors can use the banked stem cells in a stem cell transplant to replace the faulty blood-forming cells.
- New Blood Cell Production: These healthy stem cells then begin producing normal, round red blood cells rather than the sickled cells.
- Disease Elimination: Over time, the healthy cells replace the sickled cells.
How You Can Help During Sickle Cell Awareness Month
There are several meaningful ways to support the Sickle Cell community this September:
- Learn About Cord Blood Banking Options: If you’re expecting a child, especially in families with a history of sickle cell trait or disease, cord blood banking could provide a valuable medical resource for your family’s potential future health. For families with a child already affected by sickle cell disease, inquire about ViaCord’s Sibling Connection program, which may provide cord blood banking for a newborn full sibling at no cost.
- Donate Blood: If you’re eligible, consider giving blood through organizations like the American Red Cross.
- Raise Awareness: Share information about sickle cell disease and the importance of blood donation.
Sickle Cell Awareness Month reminds us of both the challenges faced by patients and the remarkable progress being made in treatment options. Cord blood banking represents a promising advancement, offering not just treatment but potential cures for those affected by this condition. Whether through donating blood, banking cord blood, or simply raising awareness, each of us has the power to help create a future where sickle cell anemia no longer controls lives.
DISCLAIMER
Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work, and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. This is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used or interpreted as information on treatments or diagnoses.
REFERENCES
1.Family cord blood banking for sickle cell disease: a twenty-year experience in two dedicated public cord blood banks Rafii H, Bernaudin F, Rouard H, Vanneaux V, Ruggeri A, Cavazzana M, Gauthereau V, Stanislas A, Benkerrou M, De Montalembert M, Ferry C, Girot R, Arnaud C, Kamdem A, Gour J, Touboul C, Cras A, Kuentz M, Rieux C, Volt F, Cappelli B, Maio KT, Paviglianiti A, Kenzey C, Larghero J, Gluckman E. Family cord blood banking for sickle cell disease: a twenty-year experience in two dedicated public cord blood banks. Haematologica. 2017 Jun;102(6):976-983. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2016.163055. Epub 2017 Mar 16. PMID: 28302713; PMCID: PMC5451329. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5451329/>
2. Umbilical Cord Blood: An Evolving Stem Cell Source for Sickle Cell Disease Transplants Shenoy S. Umbilical cord blood: an evolving stem cell source for sickle cell disease transplants. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2013 May;2(5):337-40. doi: 10.5966/sctm.2012-0180. Epub 2013 Apr 11. PMID: 23580541; PMCID: PMC3667562. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3667562/
3. Red Cross - Sickle Cell Disease; https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity/sicklecell.html
