As India grapples with eliminating sickle cell disease (SCD), recent research offers a glimmer of hope. A new study published in 'Blood' highlights the potential of bone marrow transplants to reverse heart damage associated with SCD.

The study, titled "Impact of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation on Myocardial Fibrosis in Young Patients with Sickle Cell Disease," indicates that hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HCT) can significantly reduce myocardial fibrosis, a serious complication of the disease.

Sickle cell disease, a genetic disorder causing abnormally shaped red blood cells, leads to chronic anemia and various complications, including heart damage. Traditional treatments, such as hydroxyurea, have been ineffective in reversing these complications, as per the study. However, HCT, which replaces a patient's faulty blood stem cells with healthy ones, appears to offer a new avenue for improving heart health in affected individuals.

The study, conducted by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, involved analysing cardiac MRI scans from patients undergoing HCT. Results showed a decrease in myocardial extracellular volume (ECV), a marker of heart muscle scarring, by 3.4% in the first year after transplantation, with further reductions observed in patients with two-year follow-up data. While these findings are promising, they highlight the need for larger studies to confirm the long-term benefits of HCT and its potential role in addressing the broader challenge of sickle cell disease in India. The country continues to face significant hurdles in eliminating SCD, but advancements like these provide hope for improved treatment and management of the disease.

The study holds significance in the context of India which has a large number of people with the blood disorder. India has launched a Sickle Cell Mission which aims to provide affordable, accessible, and quality care to all patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), reducing the prevalence of the disease through awareness campaigns and targeting screening of 7 crore people aged 0-40 years in affected districts of tribal areas by 2025-26.

Welcoming the study outcome, Dr. (Lt.) CBS Dangi, a veteran in the field, expressed strong support for expanding bone marrow transplant facilities in the country. He also emphasised the need for increased awareness and community mobilization to address sickle cell disorder and thalassemia.

With an ambitious goal to eradicate sickle cell disease by 2047, Dr. (Lt.) Dangi highlighted the efforts of the ADG NCC Directorate Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, led by Major General Ajay Kumar Mahajan, Group Commander Brigadier Ajit Singh, and Mission Director Priyanka Das as he stated that since July 10, the NCC has been conducting free screenings of the cadets as well for sickle cell disease and thalassemia during its camps.

"We have already screened 1,500 cadets, and we have a target to cover 100,000 cadets," said Dr. (Lt.) Dangi, the nodal officer for the Sickle Cell and Thalassemia program in the NCC Directorate (MP &CG).