Sickle cell anaemia patients can change their genotype – Expert

Dr. Bazuaye Nosakhare, a Consultant Hematologist, said on Monday that a sickle cell patient could now change his or her genotype from SS to AA through bone marrow transplant.
Nosakhare spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on the sidelines at the start of a “Champions of Hope Walk”, organised by Temitayo Awosika Help Foundation to create awareness about sickle cell anaemia.
Wikipedia, the free online encyclopaedia says: “Sickle-cell disease or sickle-cell anaemia or Drepanocytosis is a hereditary blood disorder, characterised by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape.”
Nosakhare, who works at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo State, said that there was a cure for Sickle Cell Disease through bone marrow transplant.
He said that in 2009, he along with three others went to Basel, Switzerland to undertake a one-year training in stem cell transplant.
He said that the procedure had proven to be successful against many blood-related disorders.
He said shortly after the team’s return, a five-year-old Mattew Ndik’s blood was drained and replaced with that of his brother, whose blood had no trace of sickle cell anemia.
He said within the first 100 days after the procedure, the SS blood group gradually disappeared and was replaced with the AA blood.
He said: “I am into bone marrow transplantation for cure of sickle cell and we have successfully done two.
“What stem cell or bone marrow transplant does is to change the genotype from SS to AA and so the patient no longer has crisis and the cells are no longer giving problems, so the patient has what we can call a cure.
“We are here to give support.
“To let the people know that for very bad cases, transplant is available, a cure is available.
“Then, for those who are not very serious, they could actually be managed because we have patients who have lived over 80 years.”
Nosakhare said the process was rigorous and technical, adding that it required uninterrupted electricity supply, expensive drugs and a willing blood donor.
He said that the donor would be on admission for weeks so that his blood could be certified through radiotherapy.
He said: “As a result, it is a very costly process.
“It is expensive, but comparatively, it’s about N5 million in Nigeria now, but in Europe, it’s between N20 million to N40 million.
“We feel that that’s just the beginning.
“If there is collaboration between Federal Government and NGOs, we feel this thing could be made cheap and affordable to every Nigerian.
“For those who suffer from sickle cell, there is hope that one, if they follow good hygiene and avoid crisis, they could live as long as you and I.
“And then, for those who are very severe, there is hope for a cure with stem cell transplantation.”