7. True or False: There is no cure for sickle cell disease.
FALSE
Bone marrow/stem
cell transplant can cure sickle cell disease.
Bone marrow is a soft, fatty tissue inside the center of the bones where blood
cells are made. A bone marrow/stem cell transplant is a procedure that takes
healthy cells that form blood from one person - the donor - and puts them into
someone whose bone marrow is not working properly.
Bone marrow/stem cell transplants are very risky, and can have serious side
effects, including death. For the transplant to work, the bone marrow must be a
close match. Usually, the best donor is a brother or sister. Bone marrow/stem
cell transplants are used only in cases of severe sickle cell disease for
children who have minimal organ damage from the disease.
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