Transplant cure for sickle cell in adults?

December 10, 2009 Researchers say a new method of bone marrow transplantation that uses lower levels of radiation cured nine out of 10 adult patients with sickle cell disease.

Adults have not typically been candidates because they were thought to be too sick to handle the high doses of chemo and radiation necessary to prep the body for this procedure.

Until now, transplantation was generally reserved for more resilient children whose bodies had not yet suffered as much damage from sickle cell.

The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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