Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
for children with sickle cell disease
by
Oringanje C, Nemecek E, Oniyangi O.
Institute of Tropical Disease Research and Prevention,
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital,
Calabar, Nigeria.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Jan 21;(1):CD007001.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder involving a defect in the red blood cells due to its sickled hemoglobin. The main therapeutic interventions include preventive and supportive measures. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantations are carried out with the aim of replacing the defective cells and their progenitors (hematopoietic (i.e. blood forming) stem cells) in order to correct the disorder. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether stem cell transplantation can improve survival and prevent symptoms and complications associated with sickle cell disease. To examine the risks of stem cell transplantation against the potential long-term gain for people with sickle cell disease. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Group's Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register complied from electronic searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Clinical Trials) (updated each new issue of The Cochrane Library) and quarterly searches of MEDLINE.Unpublished work was identified by searching the abstract books of major conference proceedings and we conducted a search of the website: www.ClinicalTrials.gov.Date of the most recent search of the Group's Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register: September 2008. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled and quasi-randomized studies that compared any method of stem cell transplantation with either each other or with any of the preventive or supportive interventions (e.g. periodic blood transfusion, use of hydroxyurea, antibiotics, pain relievers, supplemental oxygen) in children under 16 years of age irrespective of the type of sickle cell disease, gender and setting. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: No relevant trials have been identified. MAIN RESULTS: Ten trials were identified by the initial search of which none were suitable for inclusion in this review. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Reports on the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation improving survival and preventing symptoms and complications associated with sickle cell disease are currently limited to observational and other less robust studies. No randomized controlled trial has assessed the benefit or risk of different types of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations in children. Thus, this systematic review identifies the need for a multicentre randomized controlled trial assessing the benefits and possible risks of different types of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations comparing sickle status and severity of disease in children.

PGD
Biohappiness
Sickle-cell disease
Evolutionary ethics
'Artificial' evolution
Heterozygote advantage
Germline genetic engineering
Congenital insensitivity to pain
Human embryonic stem cell research
Gene therapy and performance enhancement
Human genetics of neurotransmitter transporters
Transhumanism (H+): toward a Brave New World?

Refs
and further reading

HOME
Resources
Wireheading
BLTC Research
nootropic.com
Superhappiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Good Drug Guide
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
MDMA: Utopian Pharmacology
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World