Sickle Cell Anemia News and Research

Latest Sickle Cell Anemia News and Research

Study explores whether senicapoc drug can mitigate lung damage in COVID-19 patients

Scientists around the globe are working to identify approved and investigational drugs that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19.

13 May 2020

Gene-editing taken to advanced levels in human stem cells

A new study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports in January 2020 reports the use of an adaptation to a commonly used gene editing technology to achieve a more than 900% increase in efficiency.

30 Jan 2020

3D capillary system offers a new approach to investigate obstruction of microvessels

Engineered human capillaries are providing an astounding view of how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels.

23 Jan 2020

Horizon Discovery to offer novel base editing technology for clinical research

Horizon Discovery today announced that it will provide access to a novel base editing technology licensed from Rutgers for exclusive use in therapeutic, diagnostic and services applications.

From Revvity 14 Jan 2020

Using CRISPR to switch off pain gene becomes a possibility with new study

A pathbreaking study reports success in disabling an important gene that is responsible for inducing the sensation of pain.

7 Jan 2020

Scientists develop 3D atlas of bone marrow to help study blood diseases

The bone marrow, which is the spongy and viscous tissue that fills the bone, is the site of blood cell formation or hematopoiesis. If the bone marrow doesn’t work properly, it can lead to many blood diseases, including leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and lymphoma, among others.

23 Dec 2019

Prenatal screening for hemoglobinopathies different in OBGYN practices and family medicine

Sickle cell disease is one of the most common inherited red blood cell disorders, yet many are not aware of their carrier status (Treadwell, J Nat Med Assoc, 2006), which can lead to confusion around pregnancy and newborn diagnosis.

5 Dec 2019

Adding plant-based compound to gene therapy could improve treatment outcomes

Gene therapy has broadened the treatment possibilities for those with immune system deficiencies and blood-based conditions, such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia.

17 Oct 2019

CDC to fund sickle cell disease surveillance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a funding of $1.2 million to different states in order to collect data and information from people suffering from sickle cell disease. The program called the Sickle Cell Data Collection program or SCDC is at present functional in two states - California and Georgia. With the new funds coming in, nine states would be able to collect and send population based information on the health of persons living with sickle cell disease.

27 Sep 2019

Researcher aims to make CRISPR-Cas9 system safer and more precise

The mere mention of gene editing and DNA altering might conjure up images of designer babies, but that is not what researcher Jin Liu has in mind.

26 Sep 2019

Researchers develop new way to measure how mechanical fatigue affects biological cells

Human red blood cells are extremely resilient and have the capacity to undergo cellular deformation as they navigate across various micro-vessels and capillaries.

17 Sep 2019

First ever American gene-editing treatment using CRISPR for genetic disease

In a pathbreaking experiment, a 34-year-old mother of four from Mississippi is in the limelight for volunteering to be the subject of CRISPR-mediated gene editing in the hope of achieving a cure for the painful sickle cell anemia with which she has suffered all her life.

30 Jul 2019

Single-cell encapsulation technology can protect transplanted MSCs from immune attack

Bone marrow transplants of hematopoietic stem cells have become standard treatment for a host of conditions including cancers of the blood and lymphatic systems, sickle cell anemia, inherited metabolic disorders, and radiation damage.

16 Jul 2019

Three signs of real progress against sickle cell disease

A decade ago, the United Nations declared June 19 to be World Sickle Cell Awareness Day- and for good reason.

19 Jun 2019

More screening and new treatments needed for sickle cell disease

The promise of new treatments for sickle cell disease, a group of inherited red blood cell disorders, has never been so great, but it will only be realized if there is constant investment in health policies such as programs for screening newborns, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where most cases occur.

13 Jun 2019

New gene therapy cures babies with fatal 'Bubble Boy' disease

A new gene therapy created by US researchers appears to have cured eight infant boys born with a rare genetic disorder referred to as “Bubble Boy” disease.

18 Apr 2019

Cancer patients and those with anemia should not be denied opioids, says CDC

The U.S. CDC has issued a letter clarifying that people suffering from severe pain caused by cancer or sickle-cell anemia should not be denied prescriptions for opioid pain-killers.

11 Apr 2019

Deadly inherited blood disorders cured with bone marrow transplant

Doubling the low amount of total body radiation delivered to patients undergoing bone marrow transplants with donor cells that are only "half-matched" increased the rate of engraftment from only about 50 percent to nearly 100 percent, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

15 Mar 2019

Research shows how common fungus gets the flexibility to live in different host environments

The fungus Candida albicans is found in the gastrointestinal tract of about half of healthy adults with little if any effect, yet it also causes an oft-fatal blood infection among patients with compromised immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS.

1 Mar 2019

Antibody-based treatment could improve cure rate for blood and immune disorders

An antibody-based treatment can gently and effectively eliminate diseased blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow to prepare for the transplantation of healthy stem cells, according to a study in mice by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

12 Feb 2019