Because the disorder involves cells produced in the bone marrow, replacement of the defective bone marrow with normal marrow will cure sickle cell disease. Adults were not eligible for the study.
Children tolerate transplantation better in general.
Also, in sickle cell disease, children often have less organ damage from their sickle cell disease, which improves their chances of survival. Patients chosen for bone marrow transplantation must be carefully selected. Bone marrow transplantation is recommended when the disease being treated carries a high probability of death. Examples include malignancies, such as certain forms of childhood leukemia and lymphoma. Bone marrow transplantation is also used in some diseases that are not frankly malignant, but where a predictable progression to illness and death occurs.