In NIBIB study, bone marrow transplantation during adolescence but not adulthood protected animal arteries
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) can potentially cure sickle cell disease, an inherited and painful blood disorder, but because of its potential drawbacks and costs, patients and caregivers often face the difficult decision of whether to undergo the procedure. However, new research suggests that earlier BMT may provide protection from stroke later in life.
In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers at NIBIB and the Georgia Institute of Technology examined arterial damage in mice with sickle cell disease that received BMT either in adolescence or adulthood. The team found that younger recipients were protected into adulthood from widening arteries — a process that increases risk of stroke. In contrast, the arteries of older recipients, which had already expanded by the time of treatment, only continued to worsen afterward.