Premature blood stem cell aging in sickle cell disease may be reversible

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found that prematurely old blood stem cells from sickle cell disease may be treatable with anti-aging drugs, and highlight a needed improvement to gene therapies.

Sickle cell disease causes premature aging of blood stem cells, which scientists may be able to address with a special class of drugs, according to a new study from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Patients with sickle cell disease experience higher rates of blood stem cell dysfunction and blood cancers compared to their peers, though the reason why has been unclear. The St. Jude researchers found that blood stem cells from young patients with sickle cell disease have features of aging, likely increasing risk for other complications. Giving senolytics, which target aging-related processes, improved disease symptoms in model systems, with implications for curative gene therapies. The findings were published today in Science Translational Medicine.