Gut Microbiota: Potential Therapeutic Target for Sickle Cell Disease Pain and Complications
Table 1
Summary of evidence from intervention studies supplementing with Akkermansia muciniphila and butyrate.
Author/year
Intervention
Main findings
Sadler et al. 2023
Akkermansia muciniphila
This study found that faecal material transplant from SCD mice induced pain in healthy mice, and this pain was linked to bilirubin, a haemoglobin catabolite. Supplementing the gut with Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria alleviated chronic pain in SCD mice
Atweh et al.
Arginine butyrate
The study showed that weekly and pulse regimens of arginine butyrate stimulated HbF production in SCD patients. Pulse regimen appeared more effective and better tolerated than the weekly regimen
Dover et al.
Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate
Oral sodium 4-phenylbutyrate increased HbF production in SCD patients and did not appear to cause myelotoxicity as seen with other treatments such as hydroxyurea
Sher and Oliveri et al.
Arginine butyrate
This case report observed that intravenous arginine butyrate led to significant improvements in HbF levels, which may contribute to the complete healing of their leg ulcers in SCD patients
