They too have a similar action binding to α1val and also probably disrupting a key salt bridge with the C-terminal carboxyl group of arg141α [11]. One of them, 5HMF was found to be several times more potent than vanillin in inhibiting sickling [40]. It also protected sickle mice from hypoxia [11]. These findings are very encouraging and currently,
5HMF is the subject of clinical trials in SCD patients.