Sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is known as the most common hemoglobin disorder, with severe forms of thalassemia syndromes following closely. Current standard treatments, including transfusions, hydroxyurea, and L-glutamine, still do not significantly improve life expectancy and quality of life for patients. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) remains the only curative option, showing overall survival and event-free survival rates over 90%, especially in patients under 16 years old. However, only 15% of SCD patients have access to an unaffected family donor. To increase donor availability, alternative sources such as matched unrelated donors, unrelated umbilical cord blood, and haploidentical donors have become viable options for patients without a matched related donor. The aim of this article was to update the Brazilian consensus previously published by the Brazilian Society of Cellular Therapy and Bone Marrow Transplantation in 2021, highlighting the latest developments in the treatment and monitoring of patients with SCD undergoing HCT.