News

Inflammation during menstrual cycle may trigger VOEs: Study

Women with sickle cell disease (SCD) have markedly elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of body-wide inflammation, during the first half of their menstrual cycles, and these variations may contribute to recurrent patterns of vaso-occlusive events (VOEs), complications resulting from blood vessel obstruction that include painful…

New model developed to track inflammation-driven blood clots

Researchers have developed a modelling system of tiny blood vessels to track inflammation-driven blood clot formation that can cause complications in sickle cell disease (SCD) and other conditions. “One of the biggest things about being able to create [blood clots] under inflammatory conditions is that we are now able…

Companies team up to support sickle cell gene therapy Lyfgenia

Bluebird Bio and Xcellbio have entered into an agreement to support the commercialization of Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel), Bluebird’s gene therapy for sickle cell disease, incorporating Xcellbio technology into Bluebird’s potency assay with the aim of helping to ensure the therapy’s effectiveness. “We’re humbled to play a small part in…

Hydroxyurea treatment toolkit aims to help SCD patients’ parents

A toolkit may facilitate the active involvement of parents of young children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in shared decision-making regarding hydroxyurea treatment for their children, a study suggests. However, the odds of these young patients being offered and prescribed hydroxyurea were higher among those who received usual…

Conference aims to educate US primary care doctors about SCD

This month, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing is hosting a conference that aims to educate primary care doctors about sickle cell disease (SCD). The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Management for Health Care Providers conference is being funded by a two-year, $364,502 grant from the…

SCD patients face longer opioid overdose hospital stays: Study

People with sickle cell disease (SCD) who are hospitalized for opioid overdose have fewer serious complications than those without the condition, but face longer hospital stays, higher costs, and unique healthcare challenges that require specialized care, a study found. “A multidisciplinary approach to pain management, tailored to individual patient…

Hydroxyurea may reduce stroke risk in sickle cell disease children

Hydroxyurea may effectively reduce the risk of stroke in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), a systematic review has found. “This review highlights the need for further research to understand the real-world feasibility and practical implications of hydroxyurea dosing strategies and to explore its long-term safety and efficacy…