Patients must be adults aged 18 or older.
They must have a confirmed half-matched (haploidentical) donor.
Patients must have severe sickle cell disease (SCD), with a high risk of complications and death. Severe SCD is defined by certain criteria, such as a history of stroke, frequent chest pain episodes, or needing regular blood transfusions.
Patients should be physically fit for the transplant, meeting specific health criteria for heart, lung, kidney, and liver function.
Patients must provide written consent to participate.
Exclusion criteria:
Patients with a fully matched sibling donor are not eligible.
Those who have had a previous bone marrow transplant are excluded.
Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals cannot participate.
Participants able to have children but not using effective contraception are excluded.
People with specific antibodies against the donor's HLA (human leukocyte antigen) are not eligible.
Those with HIV, Hepatitis B or C, or uncontrolled infections are excluded.
Patients who have participated in another study in the last three months are not eligible.
People with pre-existing conditions that increase the risk of the transplant, as determined by the local principal investigator, are also excluded.
You can found out what is involved in participation on our “What is involved?” webpage.
Who is eligible?
Adults with severe sickle cell disorder and have a relative (such as siblings or half-siblings, parents, grown-up children, aunts, uncles or cousins) that is eligible as a haplo-identical (half-matched) donor.
Patients can only participate in this trial if recommended by a sickle consultant. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please discuss this with your medical doctor. You can find more information on local centres here.