Couples who wish to know the risk of passing on a genetic disease such as sickle cell anemia to their children may now do so with QHerit, a new screening test by Quest Diagnostics. The QHerit Pan-Ethnic Expanded Carrier Screen test covers 22 genetic diseases and was produced…
A study reported that both PROMIS and ASCQ-Me measures are useful tools to monitor the daily functioning and well-being of adults living with sickle cell disease (SCD), but most ASCQ-Me scores were better predictors of SCD disease severity. The study, published in the journal Health and Quality of Life…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted rare pediatric disease designation to IMR-687, Imara’s drug candidate for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). The investigational therapy has also been granted orphan drug status by the FDA. Rare pediatric disease designation is granted to drugs that show promise…
Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may suffer from neuropathic pain, especially if they are 19 years or older, use hydroxyurea as an SCD treatment and show changes in their sensory capacity, a new study says. Researchers are calling for screenings of neuropathic pain because it may lead to faster, more…
An analysis of white matter hyperintensity (WMH, a measure of the risk of stroke) may serve as a biomarker to track the progression of blood vessel anomalies associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) and to check whether treatments were effective, according to new research. The research study, “Enhanced Long-Term…
Molecules present in the extract of papaya, pigeon peas and artar roots could help manage symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a new study. “Potential Of Three Ethnomedicinal Plants As Antisickling Agents” was published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics. Current SCD treatments include drugs that can…
Researchers have developed a new protein that can be controlled by a drug and allow the induction of controlled, specific DNA alterations in living cells, without unwanted side-effects. Such developments are a step forward in personalized medicine, especially in diseases with few therapeutic options, as is the case with sickle cell anemia…
A recent study suggests that sickle cell anemia (SCA) can be detected by a test using samples collected from inside the mouth of patients. This test allows for the detection of micronucleus, a deficient-looking cell nucleus that shows up in cells from a defective process of cell multiplication. The study,…
Sickle cell trait, a form of sickle cell caused by one (rather than two) faulty alleles, has long been thought to raise a person’s risk of premature death from muscles breaking down under exertion, straining the kidneys. But a new study contradicts this assumption, finding no elevated risk of mortality…
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