News

Mortality rates related to sickle cell disease (SCD) have increased in the U.S. in recent decades, while mortality for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) has declined over the same time period, a study shows. “Several factors contribute to this stagnation, including under-resourced care systems, limited access to first-line…

Blood levels of heme oxygenase-1, or HO-1, an enzyme that helps protect cells from certain types of damage, are elevated in people with sickle cell disease (SCD), especially children, a new study showed. HO-1 serves as a safeguard against the toxic effects of free heme, a molecule present in…

Changes in the gut microbiome, the group of bacteria and other microbes living in the digestive tract, may drive chronic pain in people with sickle cell disease (SCD), a new study reveals. In a study using mice and human tissues, a team of U.S. researchers investigated how such changes,…

Scientists at New York University (NYU) are teaming up with Nigerian-born music artist Adekunle Gold on a project to improve the lives of people affected by sickle cell disease (SCD). The collaboration was announced at an event held earlier this month as part of National Sickle Cell Awareness…

Young people with sickle cell disease (SCD) who live in areas with more air pollution are more likely to be hospitalized due to acute chest syndrome (ACS), an SCD complication marked by symptoms that can include chest pain and difficulty breathing, a study found. “As ACS is a…

Researchers have used an existing noninvasive optical tool that leverages the way light interacts with tissue to detect disease in the small blood vessels in the brain, according to a study. This neurological complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) is linked to cognitive impairment. Used in a variety of…

Oral infections carry high risks for people with sickle cell disease (SCD), but most young patients who have insurance through Medicaid don’t receive dental care, a study suggests. Rates of preventive dental care and dental treatment were comparable between young sickle cell patients and young people without the disease, …

An intervention designed to improve adherence to hydroxyurea — by providing extra support from community health workers (CHWs) and daily text reminders — may enhance quality of life for adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD), though the benefits may fade without continued support. The findings came from…

People with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) have reported significant improvements in their quality of life after receiving the approved gene-editing therapy Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel). That’s according to a new analysis of data from patients involved in a clinical trial that had tested the SCD treatment in individuals…

Correctsequence Therapeutics’ experimental gene-editing therapy CS-101 has been used to treat a person with sickle cell disease (SCD) for the first time. Prior to treatment with CS-101, the patient — a 21-year-old woman from Nigeria — had been experiencing frequent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), or painful episodes caused by…