Bone marrow transplant can cure sickle cell disease, treat invasive cancers –Physician
The Coordinator at the Bone Marrow Registry Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Nna, says sickle cell disease can be cured with a bone marrow transplant, noting that people with this health condition should explore the option.
Dr. Nna also stated that a bone marrow transplant can equally help in the treatment of many invasive cancers.
He, however, said only a few Nigerians have undergone the genetic test used to identify certain individual variations in a person’s immune system (Human Leukocyte Antigen typing) which is crucial to bone marrow transplant.
Very few people, he added, are also willing to donate stem cells.
According to the BMRN coordinator, the bone marrow is rich in stem cells which are capable of regenerating cells in people who have leukaemia and other life-threatening diseases including solid cancers.
A blood stem cell transplant is a procedure used to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow blood stem cells.
Dr. Nna said contrary to the assumptions of some people, individuals with a tattoo or piercing can be blood stem cell donors.
He, however, stated that such individuals with a tattoo or piercing have to wait a year after undergoing the act before they can donate blood stem cells.
He also added that those who have regular tattoos, piercings, or people who have been exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, or have been injected with illegal or non-prescriptive drugs cannot be blood stem cells donor.
“The stem cells in the bone marrow are capable of replicating (divide and yield specialised cells) which can cure blood cancers.
“Over four million Nigerians suffer sickle cell disease which is curable by marrow stem cell transplant.
“In Nigeria, 66.4 per 100,000 men and 130.6 per 100,000 women suffer invasive cancers. A lot of these can be treated by stem cell transplant,” he said.
Invasive cancers are cancers that have grown past the original tissue or cells where they developed and spread to otherwise healthy surrounding tissue.
The physician noted that with stem cell donation from the blood, there is very little pain involved.
“It is very similar to donating platelets and there is absolutely no operation whatsoever. A cell separator machine is used to collect stem cells from your blood. The life-saving bone marrow stem cells are found in your bloodstream. A cell separator machine is used to collect stem cells from your blood,” he said.
Nna, who is also the Director-General of the Molecular Pathology Institute, Enugu, added that through the Match and Search Services, the BMRN has access to the World Marrow Donor Association Registry that houses over 39 million potential donors worldwide and the BMRN can help an intending recipient to search this registry for his or her donor match.
He said “Potential informed consented donors, aged 18-50 years can have a free HLA typing if they are willing to donate marrow stem cells in the future. The HLA typing is free of charge for the potential donors to enroll in the registry.
“The BMRN is a member of the WMDA. Through its membership, it can always arrange donations once a recipient-donor match is found. Through BMRN partners, intending recipients can have a highly discounted high-resolution HLA typing to start their journey towards finding a perfect match for donation.
“The BMRN is at the forefront of promoting transplant science in Nigeria. Through awareness lectures, donor drive, and research. We urge Nigerians to support and join the BMRN in this laudable effort. The BMRN also submits HLA results of informed consented potential donors to the WMDA registry. This helps to expand the global registry.”
He noted that people can walk into the UNN Centre for Clinical Trials building to enlist and get swabs for HLA typing as a potential donor.
