The Emergence of Sickle Cell Disease -By Zubair Abdulqahhar

The devastating disease sickle cell anemia may not be an alien to your hearing, it is one of the most prevalent medical diseases that we often hear about. But, little did we know about its emergence and its menace to humanity.

In this article, i would give an insight knowledge about sickle cell Anemia disease, however, before i delve into the heart of the discuss, there are few questions that need to be answered: what is sickle cell disease, who gets it, is it a genetic disease/blood transfusion disease , what lead its formation in the body , could it be cure, and what are its demerits to an individual with the traits and to the society in general ? Among other questions.

Wait, how often do you think about what kind of shapes are your cells or perhaps have you ever thought of what kind of shape your red blood cells could be,or could it be zigzag,a jaggy cylindrical shape, spherical,or perhaps crescent moon like shape. You probably do not think much about what shape these cells are, but on the microscopic level, a small change can have an huge amount of consequences to the body immune system, though some environmental adaptation could change the shape of the cells for better, while others can spark up disorderliness or perhaps alterations in some cells.

Sickle cell is a genetic disorder that affects the red blood cells which transports oxygen from the lungs to the other tissues in the body. The red blood cells are filled with hemoglobin proteins to carry oxygen molecules, these proteins floats independently inside the red blood cells forming a dome like shape and keeping the red blood cells flexible enough to accommodate even the tiniest of blood vessels in the body system, but in sickle cell disease a single mutation in the cell alters the structure of the hemoglobin proteins after reducing oxygen molecules to tissues. These mutated proteins lock together in a rigid row, informing of a rod-like structure. Rods of hemoglobin proteins caused cells to deform into a long pointed sickle shape. These red blood cells become stickier and then no longer flow smoothly through the blood vessels,all these make the red blood cells sickled in shape and inform of a crescent moon-like shape. Which eventually affects the transports of oxygen molecules in the red blood by causing red blood cells to pile up or perhaps sometimes cause blockage of flow of blood through the blood vessels to their various designation and some other vital organs. This is the story of the formation of sickle cell Anaemia.

Another prevalent misunderstood thought on sickle cell by most individuals is: it has no cure, thereby, one hardly survives its acid. Well, with the recent emergence of advance knowledge in science most especially scientist in the field of molecular biology, Biochemistry and Genetics ,Gene therapy among others, the truth is not hard to seek.

More researchers on Human genome, With their research works and intervention in the medical and Biochemical field has brought us to the verge of optimism in (SCD) as a curable disease. Solutions like bone stem cells transplant, Gene therapy/Gene editing, all of these are the few cures for sickle cell disease, although they are not all 100% assureable and guarantee to cure SCD permanently. Most of these solutions are expensive , sometimes risky to conduct.

Sickle cell disease can be prevented in the society by creating awareness of sickle cell to the society by adopting postnatal DNA gene Test (PDGT)during pregnancy to check out if the unborn child has the sickle cell trait before birth.

Also, individuals in a courtship relationship should try to conduct a rigorous DNA genotype Test before legitimately solemnization of their union ,so as to avoid birthing a sickle cell carrier child.

A child is sickle cell when he/she inherits the sickle structure gene from his/her parents , who perhaps both might be a sickle cell trait carrier i.e either one of the parents is carrier of the AS,SS or both are carrier of the same gene trait.

Meanwhile, sickle cell patients are not without huge demerits. Though, there are clear open differences between a sickle cell disease carrier from an individual with no no sickle cell trait In their gene on the basis of their health status. A sickle cell trait carrier are mostly known for their incessant and frequent visitation for medical check-up,than a child who has no sickle cell trait In it’s gene ,they are sometimes regarded by some people (Fuel money child) as they may be consuming much of their family finance.

Aside from this frustrating experience to their families,they also carry the largest portion of its pains and frustration as they may show up some symptoms like severe and periodic episode pains, sharpen pain all over the whole body, in ability to go on a long time exercise as they may be attacked by critical medical complications, like tiredness, excruciating pain mainly in the bones and allergies to most of environmental changes.

They are prone to have a low resistance to many environmental adaptations and have a short life expectancy as they may die at the range oy age 0-42 .in pursuant to some medical researches.