Newswise — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital took on the fight against sickle cell disease very early in its history. Today, the St. Jude Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center has thirteen open research protocols relating to sickle cell disease, including studies involving bone marrow transplantation, the drug hydroxyurea, gene therapy, pneumococcal infection and nutritional issues in children with sickle cell disease. An additional three research protocols are in development and should be ready for patient enrollment by the end of 2006. Additionally, the St. Jude Hematology Department is involved in many collaborative research efforts with the other sickle cell centers.
WHAT and WHEN: Because this is "back to school" month for most American children, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America has earmarked September for Sickle Cell Awareness Month.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects more than 70,000 persons in the United States, mostly those of African, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern descent, although persons of any nationality can have it. Sickle cell patients have rigid, sickle-shaped red blood cells instead of flexible, disc-shaped cells. When "sickled" cells go through small blood vessels, they may obstruct the blood flow to surrounding tissues, causing pain, swelling, stroke, increased infection, internal organ damage and many other complications.
One in every 12 African-Americans carries the gene for sickle cell trait.
For your coverage of Sickle Cell Awareness month, St. Jude offers experts who can serve as resources for quotes or information on clinical care, medical research and education related to children with sickle cell disease.
WHO:
St. Jude's experts include:
- Russell Ware, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Hematology at St. JudeDr. Ware is leading a national Phase III clinical trial to investigate whether a new combination treatment can prevent secondary strokes in children with sickle cell anemia and eliminate the need for nightly injections with a drug to reduce iron overload. The five-year study, called Stroke With Transfusions Changing to Hydroxyurea (SWiTCH), is supported by a grant of more than $18 million from the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute). The study includes 20 major pediatric sickle cell centers in addition to St. Jude.
- Winfred Wang, M.D., Director of the St. Jude Comprehensive Sickle Cell CenterDr. Wang led a team of researchers at St. Jude and collaborating institutions that showed hydroxyurea, a drug known to prevent the excruciating pain crises of sickle cell disease in adults, improves blood counts in very young children and may delay chronic organ damage. He is the leader of a national study (BABY HUG) that addresses the question of preventing organ damage.
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