News

Global HOPE Initiative Plans $100M Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Treatment Network in Africa

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and Baylor College of Medicine plan to jointly create a treatment network for children with cancer and blood diseases in three sub-Saharan African countries. The $100 million initiative, Global HOPE (Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence), aims to build the medical capacity needed to diagnose and properly…

Using Stem Cells from Closely Matched Siblings Increases Sickle Cell Transplant Success, Study Finds

Using stem cells from a closely matched sibling increases the chance that a sickle-cell disease transplant will succeed, and the patient survive, a study reports. The study, “Sickle cell disease: an international survey of results of HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,” was published in the journal Blood. It…

Blood Sugar Biomarker Underestimates Glycemia Among Blacks With Sickle Cell Trait, Study Suggests

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a biomarker that measures blood sugar levels, may systematically underestimate past glycemia among African-American patients with sickle cell trait (SCT). These findings highlight the importance of further evaluating this biomarker, which may be leading to misdiagnoses and poor treatment among black patients. The study “Association of…

Animal Models Help with Studies of Sickle Cell, But More Needed, Review Says

The β-hemoglobin gene and protein in humans and mice are similar, which makes a laboratory mouse a very useful partner in studies of β-hemoglobin-related disorders, like sickle cell disease, and possible treatment targets. A review looked at the benefits and shortcomings of animal models of β-hemoglobin diseases, and suggested that the time had come to move “beyond” them.