Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle-cell disease, or sickle-cell anaemia (or drepanocytosis), is a life-long blood disorder characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickling decreases the cells' flexibility and results in a risk of various complications.

Understanding Sickle Cell Disease

World Sickle Cell Day is June 19 and was created by the United Nations in 2006 to raise global awareness for sickle cell disease as a public health problem. Sickle cell disease is an extremely debilitating medical condition.

What is Sickle-Cell Disease?

Sickle-Cell Disease Classification

Sickle Cell Disease Diagnosis

Sickle-Cell Disease Pathophysiology

Sickle-Cell Disease Genetics

Sickle-Cell Disease Treatment

Sickle-Cell Disease History

Sickle Cell Disease Carriers

Sickle-Cell Disease Symptoms

What is Sickle Cell Trait (SCT)?

Treatment Options for Sickle Cell Disease

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COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease

Current Challenges in Sickle Cell Disease

Latest Sickle Cell Disease News and Research

Targeted inhibition of a 'signal jammer' protein may improve tumor response to immunotherapy

Targeted inhibition of a "signal jammer" protein may improve how tumors respond to immunotherapy. Published today in Nature, a new study demonstrates how some cancer cells use the protein voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) like a signal jammer to prevent the body's anticancer systems from communicating with the immune system.

19 Mar 2025

Current antivirals not successful in treating severe H5N1 bird flu infections

As the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues, scientists are working to better understand the virus's threat to human health.

17 Mar 2025

CRISPR technologies paving the way for advances in regenerative medicine

A recent review published in the journal Engineering delves into the significant advancements and potential of CRISPR technologies in the field of regenerative medicine.

13 Mar 2025

St. Jude researchers improve brain disease diagnosis with PET imaging and ALS drug

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear imaging technique used to diagnose conditions such as cancer. An innovative advance from scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is enhancing the technique's ability to check for signs of neurological disease.

6 Mar 2025

Pioneering the world’s first CRISPR medicine for sickle cell disease

When Vijay Sankaran was an MD-PhD student at Harvard Medical School in the mid-2000s, one of his first clinical encounters was with a 24-year-old patient whose sickle cell disease left them with almost weekly pain episodes.

3 Mar 2025

St. Jude scientists discover how retinoic acid selectively kills metastatic neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor that occurs in children. When high-risk, the disease has a poor prognosis. Decades ago, adding the drug retinoic acid to neuroblastoma treatment increased survival by 10-15%.

2 Mar 2025

FDA ensures blood safety through five layers of safeguards

Every day, hospitals throughout the U.S. transfuse blood or blood components, such as platelets, to save the lives of people who are in car crashes, and victims of fires and other emergencies.

20 Feb 2025

First prenatal treatment for spinal muscular atrophy shows promising results

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder set in motion before birth. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the first in uterotreatment of SMA with the orally administered drug risdiplam.

20 Feb 2025

Global platform aims to revolutionize access to childhood cancer treatment

The World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have commenced distribution of critically-needed childhood cancer medicines in 2 of 6 pilot countries, through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.

12 Feb 2025

Study finds no evidence linking sickle cell trait to sudden death

A systematic literature review found no evidence to support that physical exertion without rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) or heat injury can cause sudden death for individuals with sickle cell trait (SCT), nor is there any high-level evidence that SCT causes acute pain crises.

31 Jan 2025

Study reveals brain aging in sickle cell patients

Individuals with sickle cell disease – a chronic illness where misshapen, sticky blood cells clump together, reducing oxygen delivery to organs – are at a higher risk for stroke and resulting cognitive disability.

17 Jan 2025

Unraveling the push-pull mechanism of neuron migration

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but for developing neurons, this first step relies on collaboration from multiple signaling pathways.

9 Jan 2025

Groundbreaking brain atlas sheds light on neural pathways for movement

Signals relayed to motor neurons from the brain enable muscle movement, but these signals typically pass through spinal interneurons before they reach their destination.

23 Dec 2024

New tool accelerates drug discovery

The development of molecules to study and treat disease is becoming increasingly burdened by the time and specificity required to analyze the vast amounts of data generated by synthesizing large collections of new molecules.

12 Dec 2024

New insights into accelerated aging in young sickle cell patients

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 21 on November 14, 2024, entitled, "Adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease exhibit accelerated aging with elevated T-cell p16INK4a expression."

11 Dec 2024

Serum protein panel test can help identify cardiomyopathy risk in childhood cancer survivors

Early disease detection is beneficial for securing the best possible outcomes for patients. But finding noninvasive, effective ways to predict disease risk is a tremendous challenge.

3 Dec 2024

First U.S. trial uses non-viral CRISPR to correct sickle cell mutation

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland is enrolling patients in an innovative clinical trial that seeks to cure sickle cell disease.

26 Nov 2024

Scientists uncover a previously unrecognized tumor suppression mechanism

There are processes in the human body that can suppress the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. These mechanisms, including those involving the tumor suppressor protein p53, are widely studied due to their critical role in disease.

12 Nov 2024

Patient Claim Line outlines key signs of stroke and how to reduce risks

Every five minutes, someone in the UK will experience a stroke, with 1.3 million people in the country having survived a stroke. The condition can be both life-threatening and life-altering, so knowing what to look out for and how to act in the event of a stroke is essential.

26 Oct 2024

Adenine base editors show potential to correct X-CGD-causing mutations

A collaborative effort between investigators at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, demonstrates the potential of precise genome editing technologies, called adenine base editors, to correct disease-causing mutations in stem cells from patients with X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (X-CGD), a rare genetic disorder characterized by high susceptibility to infections.

16 Oct 2024