Use of trans‐3′5'4‐trihydroxystilbene (Resveratrol) as an adjunct in the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease

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Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and □-thalassemia are among the most common forms of hemoglobinopathy and life-threatening genetic diseases worldwide. So far, the only approved drug for these disorders is the ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU) falls short of being curative. The efficacy of HU in the management of thalassemia and SCD is generally attributed to its limited ability to boost the levels of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F,α2γ2), which decreases sickling by interfering with the polymerization of hemoglobin in patients with SCD and can partially correct the globin chain imbalance in □-thalassemia patients, while at the same time facilitating O2 transport to myoglobin in peripheral tissues. The naturally occurring dietary polyphenol resveratrol (trans-3′5'4-trihydroxystilbene, RV), has also been postulated to induce Hb F production via a biochemical mechanism like HU. Preclinical studies using the human erythroleukemic K562 cell line suggested RV can induce Hb F production in a more robust manner than HU. However, clinical studies on the efficacy and effectiveness of RV are limited and conflicting. This study sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of RV in managing SCD compared to HU. A systematic literature review was conducted in peer-reviewed, published full-text articles investigating RV in the management of SCD. Eligible studies were required to report explicitly, including participants diagnosed with β-thalassemia or SCD anemia or cultured cells with the SCD or thalassemia disease and where HU was included as a control. The analysis included thalassemia, RV type, RV dosage, duration of treatment, and outcome, Hb F induction and antioxidant activity. Additionally, a pilot study of RV in the management of adults with SCD who received treatment at National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria, was attempted but discontinued due to the COVID 19 pandemic. A case study of a single 23-year-old female SCD patient who had been taking RV [1000mg daily p.o.] for more than 6 years was included. Outcome variables evaluated include number of hospitalization episodes of pain crisis, need for blood transfusion, possible side effects and RBC indices. The early results of this metanalysis show that RV was as effective as HU in inducing production of Hb F in adult SCD patients and reducing hospital treatment days post RV treatment. Four primary treatment and curative therapies that have shown great potential and are currently used to prevent and treat acute and chronic complications in SCD, HU and blood transfusions, are the most well-established disease-modifying therapies used to prevent and treat complications associated with SCD. Other lesser used therapies include stem cell transplantation or the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), and the investigational gene therapy is the only known curative therapy that exists regarding SCD. The results of this study indicate that RV is an effective inducer of Hb F production in adults and shows promise as a cost effective and useful adjunct for the treatment of hemoglobinopathies including SCD and thalassemia.