Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Latest Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Sangamo and Pfizer partner for development of new zinc finger protein gene therapy to treat ALS

Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. and Pfizer Inc. today announced a collaboration for the development of a potential gene therapy using zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP-TFs) to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) linked to mutations of the C9ORF72 gene.

8 Jan 2018

Strategies to prevent and treat acute chest syndrome in children with sickle cell disease

Acute chest syndrome (ACS), a potentially severe lung complication of sickle cell disease, increases a child's risk of respiratory failure, chronic lung disease, and prolonged hospitalization if not recognized early and treated effectively.

5 Jan 2018

Sickle cell patients, families and doctors face a ‘fight for everything’

The day before his 30th birthday, Marqus Valentine was in a panic. "I was so scared for midnight to come rolling around because subconsciously I was like, 'This is it. Tomorrow’s my last day on Earth,'" he said.

27 Dec 2017

Researchers find link between negative emotions and higher opioid use in people with sickle cell disease

In a small study using data from daily electronic patient diaries, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have found a link between negative emotions, such as sadness and anxiety, and higher opioid use in people with sickle cell disease whose pain levels were self-reported as relatively low.

27 Nov 2017

Increasing hydroxyurea dose linked to reduction in hospitalization for young sickle cell anemia patients

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have shown that using the drug hydroxyurea to boost average fetal hemoglobin levels above 20 percent in children and teenagers with sickle cell anemia was associated with at least a two-fold reduction in hospitalization for any reason.

9 Nov 2017

Overabundance of gut bacteria may exacerbate pain in patients with sickle cell disease

An overabundance of the bacteria Veillonella in the digestive tract may increase pain in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

8 Nov 2017

Genotype may help identify patients at increased risk for sickle cell disease-related complications

Researchers have found a genotype that could help identify sickle cell disease (SCD) patients at greatest risk of common, yet severe, complications of SCD.

7 Nov 2017

Popular Alzheimer's drug shows promise in clinical trials for treating patients with sickle cell disease

A popular drug commonly used to treat Alzheimer's disease has shown promise in laboratory and clinical trials for treating patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

7 Nov 2017

Mental stress and anticipation of pain may trigger painful sickle cell episodes

Mental stress and the anticipation of pain may cause blood vessels to narrow and trigger episodes of severe pain (vaso-occlusive crisis, or VOC) in sickle cell disease (SCD).

7 Nov 2017

Sickle cell patients suffer discrimination, poor care — and shorter lives

For more than a year, NeDina Brocks-Capla avoided one room in her large, brightly colored San Francisco house — the bathroom on the second floor.

6 Nov 2017

Conference to focus on preventing and reversing consequences of sickle cell disease

Leading experts in the field of sickle cell disease (SCD) research will convene in Washington, D.C., for the Physiological and Pathophysiological Consequences of Sickle Cell Disease conference (November 6–8). The conference, organized by the American Physiological Society, will explore SCD- the world's most prevalent single-gene mutation disease-; and new research on preventing and reversing its deadly consequences.

1 Nov 2017

Gene therapy effectively stabilizes progression of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, trial reveals

In a recent clinical trial, a gene therapy to treat cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) -- a neurodegenerative disease that typically claims young boys' lives within 10 years of diagnosis -- effectively stabilized the disease's progression in 88 percent of patients, researchers from the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Massachusetts General Hospital report today.

4 Oct 2017

Study suggests frequent blood donation as feasible and safe option for donors

Giving blood more frequently – up to every 8 weeks for men and every 12 weeks for women – has no major side effects and could help to increase blood stocks, according to the first ever randomised trial of blood donation involving more than 45000 people in England published in The Lancet.

25 Sep 2017

Study may contribute to genetic understanding of high-altitude adaptation

Many research groups have recently explored human adaptation and successfully identified candidate genes to high altitude living among three major far-flung global populations: Tibetans, Ethiopians and Peruvians.

22 Sep 2017

New sickle cell disease poll dispels long-held perceptions of African Americans

Pfizer Inc., the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and scholars from Howard University today announced results from a new national poll designed to deepen understanding and gauge perceptions around sickle cell disease (SCD) among African Americans.

21 Sep 2017

New clinical trial begins testing Epigem’s instrument for detection, cure of rare anemias

Epigem today announced that one of its development instruments, MeChem, is being tested in a new clinical trial into the detection and cure of rare anemias. The company has filed two patents relating to the test methods and the associated system.

14 Sep 2017

PCORI Board awards $18 million for two new studies on sickle cell disease

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Board of Governors today approved about $18 million to fund two studies comparing different ways to manage the transition of people with sickle cell disease from pediatric to adult care.

13 Sep 2017

Research reveals LEGO-like stacking of protein complexes

When hemoglobin undergoes just one mutation, the protein complexes stick to one another, stacking like LEGO blocks to form long, stiff filaments.

29 Aug 2017

Scientists develop new system to identify and characterize regulatory DNA sequences

Scientists from the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern have developed an innovative system to identify and characterize the molecular components that control the activities of regulatory DNA sequences in the human genome.

24 Aug 2017

Expert highlights CRISPR’s applications, limitations, and ethical concerns

"Good morning, doctor, I am here for my gene editing appointment." In the future, could this be a greeting heard in physician offices around the world? With the introduction of CRISPR technology, genetic material can now be more easily and precisely edited, even creating changes that can subsequently be inherited by offspring.

1 Aug 2017

Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Latest Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Sangamo and Pfizer partner for development of new zinc finger protein gene therapy to treat ALS

Strategies to prevent and treat acute chest syndrome in children with sickle cell disease

Sickle cell patients, families and doctors face a ‘fight for everything’

Researchers find link between negative emotions and higher opioid use in people with sickle cell disease

Increasing hydroxyurea dose linked to reduction in hospitalization for young sickle cell anemia patients

Overabundance of gut bacteria may exacerbate pain in patients with sickle cell disease

Genotype may help identify patients at increased risk for sickle cell disease-related complications

Popular Alzheimer's drug shows promise in clinical trials for treating patients with sickle cell disease

Mental stress and anticipation of pain may trigger painful sickle cell episodes

Sickle cell patients suffer discrimination, poor care — and shorter lives

Conference to focus on preventing and reversing consequences of sickle cell disease

Gene therapy effectively stabilizes progression of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, trial reveals

Study suggests frequent blood donation as feasible and safe option for donors

Study may contribute to genetic understanding of high-altitude adaptation

New sickle cell disease poll dispels long-held perceptions of African Americans

New clinical trial begins testing Epigem’s instrument for detection, cure of rare anemias

PCORI Board awards $18 million for two new studies on sickle cell disease

Research reveals LEGO-like stacking of protein complexes

Scientists develop new system to identify and characterize regulatory DNA sequences

Expert highlights CRISPR’s applications, limitations, and ethical concerns

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Latest Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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