Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle-cell disease, or sickle-cell anaemia (or drepanocytosis), is a life-long blood disorder characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickling decreases the cells' flexibility and results in a risk of various complications.

Understanding Sickle Cell Disease

World Sickle Cell Day is June 19 and was created by the United Nations in 2006 to raise global awareness for sickle cell disease as a public health problem. Sickle cell disease is an extremely debilitating medical condition.

Sickle-Cell Disease Classification

Sickle Cell Disease Diagnosis

What is Sickle Cell Trait (SCT)?

Sickle-Cell Disease Symptoms

Sickle-Cell Disease Genetics

Treatment Options for Sickle Cell Disease

What is Sickle-Cell Disease?

Current Challenges in Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle-Cell Disease Pathophysiology

Sickle-Cell Disease Treatment

COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease

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Sickle Cell Disease Carriers

Sickle-Cell Disease History

Latest Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Research uncovers ASPL's critical role in stress granule life cycle

Stress granules are droplet-like protein hubs that temporarily shield fragile RNA from cellular stresses such as toxins. VCP is a protein essential for breaking up stress granules and has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases.

9 Oct 2025

Inappropriate triage prolongs time to pain medication in vaso-occlusive crisis

Most individuals living with sickle cell disease who presented to the emergency department with a pain crisis, known as vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), were not triaged appropriately according to established national guidelines, reveals a study published today in Blood Advances.

8 Oct 2025

Active music therapy offers greater pain relief for hospital patients

A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that music therapy interventions involving singing, active instrument play, and relaxation/imagery may be more effective for reducing pain intensity than receptive interventions only involving live or recorded music listening among hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe pain.

25 Sep 2025

Gut microbial imbalance linked to chronic sickle cell disease pain

A research collaboration involving scientists and students at The University of Texas at Dallas has found a clear connection between chronic sickle cell disease pain and the bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract.

22 Sep 2025

Timely opioid treatment lowers hospitalizations in children with sickle cell disease

A new study has found that prompt administration of opioid pain relief in emergency departments reduces the likelihood of hospitalization for children with sickle cell disease, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

18 Sep 2025

New method reveals how mitochondrial DNA mutations influence cancer growth

Mitochondria act as energy factories in cells and have their own, separate DNA. Mutations to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been observed in cancer, but it has been unclear how these changes might affect cancer growth.

10 Sep 2025

Dental care gaps affect children with sickle cell disease in Michigan

Children with sickle cell disease are more likely to have dental problems - but fewer than half of those covered by Michigan Medicaid got dental care in 2022, according to a new study.

3 Sep 2025

Abnormal fusion protein drives childhood brain tumor through condensate formation

A study looking at the biophysical properties of an abnormal protein driving cancer cells is giving scientists new therapeutic clues for how to treat ependymoma, the third most common childhood brain tumor.

27 Aug 2025

Gene editing therapy exa-cel improves quality of life in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia

Treatment with exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel) led to robust and sustained improvements in quality of life for patients with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, according to two studies published in Blood Advances.

27 Aug 2025

Investigation raises concerns over tooth stem cell banking claims

Parents are spending thousands of pounds to bank stem cells from their children's milk teeth – but the recipient companies' claims about their future medical value are unproven and potentially misleading, reveals an investigation by The BMJ, published today.

21 Aug 2025

New generation of CRISPR shows safer path to treating genetic diseases

A new generation of CRISPR technology developed at UNSW Sydney offers a safer path to treating genetic diseases like Sickle Cell, while also proving beyond doubt that chemical tags on DNA - often thought to be little more than genetic cobwebs - actively silence genes.

17 Aug 2025

Immigrant kids detained in ‘unsafe and unsanitary’ sites as Trump team seeks to end protections

A child developed a rash after he was prevented from changing his underwear for four days. A little boy, bored and overcome with despair, began hitting himself in the head.

30 Jul 2025

Timepoint at which B cells transform into leukemic cells impacts treatment outcomes

New findings show that the stage of normal cell development at which B cells transform into leukemic cells impacts treatment outcomes for pediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

2 Jul 2025

HHS eliminates CDC staff who made sure birth control is safe for women at risk

For Brianna Henderson, birth control isn’t just about preventing pregnancy.

1 Jul 2025

New tool reveals hidden water patterns in protein structures

Every protein in the body is encased in a water shell that directs protein structure, provides vital stability and steers function.

30 Jun 2025

Gene therapy shows promise for reducing stroke risk in patients with sickle cell disease

Gene therapy for sickle cell disease may help improve a major contributing factor to stroke risk in patients, reports a new study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

30 Jun 2025

Scientists identify novel combination therapy approach to treat pediatric acute myeloid leukemia

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute today report the identification of a novel combination therapy approach to treat pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

20 Jun 2025

Researchers find unique genetic profile in childhood cancer survivors with cardiomyopathy

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studied how common and rare genetic variants influence late-onset cardiomyopathy risk, highlighting the unique genetic complexity of childhood cancer survivors.

20 Jun 2025

New gene therapy strategy reactivates dormant genes to treat blood disorders

Researchers have found a promising new method for gene therapy. They successfully restarted inactive genes by bringing them closer to genetic switches on the DNA called enhancers.

19 Jun 2025

Global guideline released by WHO on managing sickle cell disease in pregnancy

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its first-ever global guideline on the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) during pregnancy, addressing a critical and growing health challenge that can have life-threatening consequences for both women and babies.

19 Jun 2025