Bone marrow transplantation, hydroxyurea in children and in patients w
ith sickling disorders other than sickle cell anemia, and prophylactic
transfusion for prevention of stroke in children are currently being
evaluated as treatments for patients with sickle cell disease. Long-te
rm complications of each of those treatments are incompletely understo
od. Attempts to inhibit sickling by lowering intracellular hemoglobin
concentration are still in progress. Combinations of therapeutic agent
s with different modes of action and development of more effective tre
atment schedules may further improve the outlook of patients with sick
ling disorders.