The 2024 Shaw Prize in Life Science & Medicine has been awarded to two U.S. scientists whose discoveries paved the way for the development of gene therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD) and other blood disorders. This year’s prize — carrying a gold medal and a $1.2 million award…
Short-term exposure to air pollutants may be associated with a higher risk of hospitalization among children with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a new study examining data from the southeastern U.S. state of South Carolina. In particular, more so-called hospital encounters were seen in SCD children within two…
Treatment with the gene-editing therapy Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) substantially decreased the rates of painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) among people with sickle cell disease taking part in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial. Full results from the trial, which supported the recent approvals of Casgevy in the U.S.,…
The Colorado House of Representatives has passed legislation that seeks to improve health outcomes for state residents who live with sickle cell disease (SCD) through a new community outreach program. If made into law, the measure (SB24-042) would appropriate $200,000 to establish the Arie P. Taylor Sickle Cell…
Bluebird Bio has announced it’s completed collecting cells from the first sickle cell disease (SCD) patient receiving the gene therapy Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel), following its recent approval in the U.S. The cells were collected at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., which is part of the company’s…
England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final draft guidance recommending the country’s National Health Service (NHS) cover Pfizer’s Oxbryta (voxelotor) to treat sickle cell disease. “Today’s approval by NICE marks a significant milestone in sickle cell care, addressing decades of limited access to…
Explosive synchronization in the brain, wherein a small change in the brain network causes it to sync up and undergo a sudden shift in behavior, could be behind frequent pain crises in sickle cell disease, according to a study that may offer a way to better predict the disease’s…
A bone marrow transplant approach that doesn’t use high-dose chemotherapy to prevent an immune response against a donor’s stem cells showed high rates of event-free and overall survival among sickle cell disease (SCD) patients treated in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The approach, which also expands the eligibility of…
Having male adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) undergo fertility testing by semen analysis may not be feasible if it involves travel to a reproductive diagnostic center, according to a recent study. Despite having access to reproductive health education and compensation to cover transportation costs, only 15% of adolescents…
A nurse clinician-scientist and professor at the University of Toronto, in Canada, is being honored for her work in developing iCanCope, a mobile app that aims to help in sickle cell disease (SCD) pain management. Jennifer Stinson, PhD, was awarded the 2023 Barer-Flood Prize from the Canadian Institutes…
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