The treatment of thalassemia ranges from conservative treatments like supportive measures to intensive approaches like bone marrow transplant and gene therapy. Supportive measures include red blood cell transfusions. However, this can be complicated by iron overload, with iron deposition in various organs. This can sometimes require iron chelation therapy. Stem cell transplant has been done for thalassemia, with the goal of eliminating the cells with defective globin chains and substituting them for cells with normal globin chains. Gene therapy involves in vitro or ex vivo manipulation of the beta-globin gene such that normal gene function can be restored. Other therapies that have been tried with limited success include hydroxyurea and anti-oxidant therapy. Overall, these therapies have low efficacy.
Thalassemia medical therapy
Diamond-Blackfan anemia medical therapy
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency medical therapy
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria medical therapy
Thalassemia secondary prevention
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency primary prevention
Thalassemia primary prevention
Folate deficiency medical therapy