Stem cell transplantation in hemoglobinopathies

beta-Thalassemia (thal) and sickle cell disease are the most common genetic diseases worldwide. Although supportive therapies such as regular transfusion and chelation for beta-thal and hydroxyurea (HU) for sickle cell disease have significantly improved clinical manifestations and the quality of life, they cannot eliminate disease and therapy-related complications. Today, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment for patients with hemoglobinopathies. The first successful HSCT was reported in 1981. At that time, more than 1,000 patients underwent HSCT in Pesaro, Italy. Sixty beta-thal patients underwent HSCT at the Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey between 1998 and 2006. We found stable mixed chimerism in 14 patients out of 45 (31%) in our transplanted thalassemia patients. The thalassemia free survival and overall survival rates were found to be 84.0 and 91.0%, respectively. The literature and our results indicate that HSCT can offer a cure for hemoglobinopathy patients.