Sickle cell anemia is a disease that affects many people in the world today. It is the number one genetic disease in the United States. Sickle cell anemia is deficient in hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is what works in delivering oxygen to the cells in the body. The sickle shape comes from atypical hemoglobin molecules. Hemoglobin molecules are made up of two different parts called alpha and beta. The beta subunit of the hemoglobin molecule has a mutation in the gene, on chromosome 11, which produces the change in the shape of red blood cells causing them to die and become unable to reproduce properly. The change in shape causes red blood cells to get stuck in blood vessels and block the effectiveness of oxygen transport causing pain and damage to the body's organs. This disease has no cure, and some common treatments are used to help patients live with the disease. Some treatment options include antibiotics (penicillin) to prevent infections, blood transfusions, and folic acid which helps make new blood cells. These are just some of the current treatments for sickle cell disease. Some members of our population may be more at risk than others due to ethnic background. This disease is more noticeable in some breeds than others and studies have shown where the numbers increase or decrease depending on the breed. Descendants of Africa, India, the Mediterranean, Central and South America, and the Caribbean have a higher rate of diagnosis. Countries exposed to the malaria parasite have the highest number of cases of sickle cell anemia. The rate of African Americans with sickle cell disease is approximately 1 in 500 and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 in Hispanic Americans. Caucasian people are less likely to get the disease due to the history of d...... middle of paper ...... ronchoscopy is necessary to identify any type of infection in the body. Corticosteroids are used as a remedy for patients suffering from sickle cell disease; it is administered through a vein and can help reduce the amount of time a patient spends on stem cell treatment, another option being considered for sickle cell patients. A study conducted at UCLA by Dr. Donald Kohn in which hematopoietic blood from the bone marrow is used to treat patients with sickle cell disease. The treatment was provided by introducing the non-sickle cell gene into the hematopoietic stem cell which will help produce healthy red blood cells compared to sickle cells. The blood used for this treatment comes from the person himself who carries the mutated gene and is then reintroduced into the hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) with the ability to renew and multiply new healthy red blood cells. Hospital.