Microscopic studies of red cells from homozygous sickle cell patients show that dichloromethane does prevent sickle cell formation in vitro and does cause reversion of sickled cells to normal after exposure to dichloromethane. X-ray structural analysis of human deoxyhemoglobin crystals exposed to dichloromethane shows four unique binding sites. Arguments are presented to suggest that the binding site close to tryptophan 14alpha prevents the formation of helical polymers, i.e., prevent sickling.

Dichloromethane effectively prevents sickle cell formation and causes reversion of sickled cells to normal in sickle cell hemoglobin, suggesting its potential as an antisickling agent.

Paper

Dichloromethane as an antisickling agent in sickle cell hemoglobin.

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