How Does Hydroxyurea Work In Sickle Cell

Here's a taste of what TheBody.com has to offer on this topic:

Get the Facts

Hydroxyurea (Hydrea)

What Is Hydroxyurea? Hydroxyurea (Hydrea) is a drug that was tested as part of antiretroviral therapy (ART). It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Hydroxyurea is sometimes referred to as HU. Hydroxyurea was approved for use against cancer. It also works against sickle cell anemia. Hydroxyurea has not been approved by the FDA for use against HIV. Hydroxyurea blocks an enzyme produced by human cells. This enzyme makes building blocks used...

Ask the Experts

sickle cell disease

my profesor told us today that it is imposssible for a person with sickle cell disease to contract HIV or AIDS. Is this true?...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hi,Your professor told you what??? Where did he get his "professor" degree? EBay perhaps? Your professor is wrong. Dead wrong. Please feel free to tell him I said so. If he doesn't retract or correct his inaccurate information, he... Read more »

hydroxyurea: friend or foe?

Dr. Young,Dr. Paul Curtis Bellman advocates austerely in favor of further study of hydroxyurea as a potential agent having anti-viral fighting capability. In the article below, this doctor discloses several points that he believes illuminates the...

Response from Benjamin Young, M.D., Ph.D.

Rocky Mountain CARES

Thank you for making us aware of Dr. Bellman's position.I think that the HU and didanosine (ddI, Videx) story is one of increased toxicity under the circumstance of elevated ddI levels. Others including my own analysis of the Center for... Read more »

Ok to continue with hydroxyurea?

Hello. Is hydroxyurea so bad that its benefit is outweighed by its potential for harm??? My current HIV med regimen is composed of d4t, 3tc, and hydroxyurea. I've been taking this regimen on and off for more than a year. My viral load is...

Response from Cal Cohen, M.D., M.S.

Harvard Medical School

Well, another controversy in our field.It is clear the hydroxyurea has a pro and a con. On the pro side, we do have information to show us it can boost the potency of some of our nucleoside antivirals. We just presented a study, for example, of... Read more »

contrasting combative strategies (hydroxyurea and IL-2)

Dr. Gerald,I am attaching to you an article that is most interesting. How do you feel about the concept of combining hydroxyurea and IL-2? How many years real-time are we away from seeing this in practice?JodyPositives for Positives Winter...

Response from Gerald Pierone, M.D.

AIDS Research and Treatment Center of the Treasure Coast

My feeling is that combining hydroxyurea and IL-2 is not a good thing and using them together would clearly be in the experimental realm. Hydroxyurea has modest antiretroviral activity and suppresses the immune system to some degree. IL-2... Read more »

Go to Ask the Experts »

Connect With Others

I dropped my cell in the....

Posted by Cae, 2 Replies

Toilet...

And best of all I grabbed it out. This was at work and the water looked clear. I dont know who used it before me, heck now that I keep thinking about it more and more the more I imagine other things in the water ><

I dont think I had... Read more »

White Blood Cell Count

Posted by sunkyst, 2 Replies

OK, I'm totally freaked out. I went to my doctor to get my blood work results and he told me that all the tests were normal except that my white blood cell count was slightly elevated.

I've tested for HIV several times over the past 2 months,... Read more »

Worried..T-Cells count going down fast!

Posted by Overstressed, 4 Replies

I was tested postive in 2003 and when I went in for my frist T-Cell count and Viral Load I was not sure what to expect..I started @1041 T-Cell and viral load 45,000 and of course I would go in and get my count every 3 months . My T-Cells would be... Read more »

What is a T-Cell or CD4 Count?

Posted by TheBody

What Is a T-Cell or CD4 Count?

Your T-cell count, also known as a CD4 count, reveals the number of T cells in your body. A T cell is a special kind of white blood cell, and the more you have, the stronger your immune system is. When you were infected... Read more »

Connect on Our Bulletin Boards »

Tools

My Health Tracker

Assess Your Risk for HIV

Find Local HIV/AIDS Services

Resource Centers

Guides for People With HIV

View All of Our Guides >>