New Cure for Sickle Cell Disease Discovered by University of Ibadan Doctors and their U.S Counterparts

Nigeria's University of Ibadan, has partnered with two American universities, and announced that they have discovered a permanent cure for the sickle cell disease

On 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."