News

Why Do Mutations for Diseases like Sickle Cell Persist Across Generations? Biologically, We May Be Wired to Keep Them

An evolutionary force, called balancing selection, appears to be responsible for maintaining defects in our DNA associated with diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, because the mutation’s damaging effects might be offset — in a biological way of thinking — by its potential benefits. The study, “Excess of deleterious mutations…

Hydroxyurea Therapy Use in Children with Sickle Cell Anemia in New York Explored in Study

Researchers investigated the use of hydroxyurea, a drug approved to treat sickle cell anemia in adults, in young children in New York State who are receiving this treatment. The findings reveal that pediatric use of hydroxyurea is widespread and increasing, but that incomplete adherence may limit the treatment’s full disease-modifying effects. The study,…

Process for Improving Risk Assessment of Stroke in Sickle Cell Anemia Kids Developed by Researchers

Researchers developed a project using what are termed “quality improvement methods” to increase the number of sickle cell anemia (SCA) babies and toddlers between the ages of 24-27 months who undergo transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) to detect the risk of stroke. The findings show the intervention resulted in significantly improved TCD…

US-based Biopharma Presents Positive Data on Potential Sickle Cell Therapy at European Hematology Congress

Global Blood Therapeutics, a biopharma developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of blood-based disorders, recently announced new results from its ongoing Phase 1/2 study of GBT440-001 in sickle cell disease (SCD). The data, presented at the European Hematology Association’s 21st Congress in Copenhagen, further supports the company’s plans to develop GBT440 as a…