Cuttack hospital likely to be a one-stop centre for sickle cell anaemia treatment

Sub: Sci

Sec : Health

Context:

A team from UNICEF visited the Haematology Department at SCB Medical College, Cuttack, to assess its potential as a one-stop centre for treating sickle cell anaemia.
Odisha has the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease in India, making it a focus area for intervention and care.
The proposed one-stop centre at SCB will offer comprehensive care, including diagnostic testing, ICU facilities, dedicated wards, medicine distribution, and specialized staff training.

About Sickle Cell Disease (SCD):

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited haemoglobin disorder characterised by a genetic mutation that causes red blood cells (RBCs) to assume a sickle or crescent shape rather than their normal round shape.
This abnormality in RBCs results in increased rigidity, impairing their ability to circulate effectively throughout the body.
Consequently, individuals with SCD often experience complications such as anaemia, organ damage, recurrent and severe pain episodes, and a shortened lifespan.

Disease Prevalence:

Odisha leads with 89,329 diagnosed cases from 47,62,739 screenings, resulting in a disease rate of 1.88%. The national disease average is significantly lower at 38%.
The state also has the highest number of carriers at 3,66,289 individuals (7.69%) of the population.

National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM):

The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) is an initiative launched in 2023 by the Government of India to address the burden of sickle cell anaemia, particularly in tribal-dominated regions.
It aims to eliminate the disease by 2047 through widespread screening, awareness, and improved access to care and treatment.

Treatment of Sickle Cell Anaemia

Casgevy

Developed by: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Ltd. and CRISPR Therapeutics.
Developed using: Gene editing tool CRISPR, which won its makers a Nobel prize in 2020.
Approved for: Patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia who are 12 years old and over.
Earlier treatment: To date, bone marrow transplants, extremely arduous procedures that come with very unpleasant side effects, have been the only long-lasting treatment.

How Casgevy works?

It works by targeting the problematic gene in a patient’s bone marrow stem cells so that the body can make properly functioning haemoglobin.
Patients first receive a course of chemotherapy, before doctors take stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow and use genetic editing techniques in a laboratory to fix the gene.
The cells are then infused back into the patient for a permanent treatment.
Patients must be hospitalized at least twice — once for the collection of the stem cells and then to receive the altered cells.