Yesterday; Wednesday, October 28th, University of Ibadan in
partnership with two American universities, announced the discovery of a
permanent cure for the sickle cell disease. The cure which was described as less risky and with a potential
to help over 5 million Africans
living with the disease, was the outcome of a
research carried out by U.I in alliance with medical experts at the University
of Illinois and the University of Loyola, both in Chicago.
According to the Director of the Sickle Cell Centre at the
University of Illinois, Professor Victor
Gordeuk, his colleague, Prof. Damiano Rondelli, and Prof. Bamidele Tayo from
the University of Loyola, Chicago, the cure for the deadly disease, will be
done through a bone marrow transplant.
The experts explained that unlike the other conventional
method of stem cell transplant which exposes patients to radiation that could
cause cancer, first blood and marrow stem cell transplant, BMT, is much more
effective.
The Chief Medical Director, UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, and
two other doctors from the hospital: Dr. Titilola Akingbola, a haematologist
and Dr. Foluke Fasola, were also present at the announcement of the cure.
Professor Gordeuk said: "With this chemotherapy-free
transplant, we are curing adults with sickle cell disease, and we see that
their quality of life improves fast within just one month of the
transplant."
He added, "In the new procedure, patients receive
immuno-suppressive drugs just before the transplant, along with a very low dose
of total body irradiation, a treatment much less harsh and with fewer
potentially serious side effects than chemotherapy."
Source:
Vanguard
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