Later
Nia is 13
Later
Nia is 13
Nia gets medical tests to check if her body is ready to undergo this treatment.
You will get tests and scans.
Some people are not able to do gene therapy, even if they want it.
You might not be able to get this treatment if:
- Your organs are not strong enough.
- Your organs are too damaged from sickle cell disease.
- You have a fully matched brother or sister who is willing to donate cells to you for transplant.
If your treatment is part of a medical research, you may get additional tests to check if it is ok for you to be in the study.
For some people, the risk may be greater than the possible benefit.
Gene therapy is best for:
- People who are not doing well with medication or other sickle cell disease treatment.
- People who do not have a fully matched donor for transplant.
Gene therapy is not a good choice for:
- People who are doing well with medication or other sickle cell disease treatment.
- People who are very sick. If you need a cure right away, bone marrow transplant may be a better choice.
- People who have a full match donor for bone marrow transplant. If you have full siblings, your doctor will check to see if they are a match. Doctors know a lot about full match bone marrow transplant. This is why you cannot get gene therapy if you are able to have a full match donor for a bone marrow transplant.
Your doctor can tell you if gene therapy is an option for you.