Navigation Links
Gaining ground on sickle cell disease
Date:7/15/2008

Although sickle cell disease is a single-gene disorder, its symptoms are highly variable. In a study published online July 14 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), in collaboration with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, report five gene variants that could potentially be helpful in predicting sickle cell disease severity, perhaps even leading to better treatment approaches in the future.

The gene variants influence blood levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF), which are known to affect symptom severity in sickle cell diseasewith some patients experiencing frequent, severe pain crises and organ damage, while others are scarcely aware of their disease.

"Our study is a first step towards a better understanding of fetal hemoglobin regulation in patients with sickle cell disease," says Guillaume Lettre, PhD, of the Broad Institute and Children's Hospital Boston, and co-first author on the paper. "But further validation experiments are needed before these findings can become useful in the clinic."

"Eventually, understanding the factors giving rise to heterogeneity in HbF levels might allow us to take severely affected patients and make them more like those with more benign symptoms," adds Vijay Sankaran, co-first author on the paper with Lettre and an MD-PhD student in the laboratory of Stuart Orkin, MD. (Orkin is chair of pediatric oncology at DFCI and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Children's.)

In sickle cell disease, a single genetic mutation results in the production of an abnormal type of hemoglobin, the main component of red blood cells. The abnormal hemoglobin molecules tend to form long chains, causing red blood cells to become stiff and sickle-shaped. The distorted cells have difficulty passing through blood vessels and can block the smaller vessels, resulting in severe pain and eventual orga
'/>"/>

Contact: Bess Andrews
Elizabeth.Andrews@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-3110
Children's Hospital Boston
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. How to stop regaining weight? Thats the real question
2. Iowa State researchers study ground cover to reduce impact of biomass harvest
3. Pesticides persist in ground water
4. Using ground-penetrating radar to observe hidden underground water processes
5. Stakeholders use science to find common ground on wood supply from forests
6. Western Groundfish Conference to be held in Santa Cruz on Feb. 4-8
7. BGSU undergraduates to pilot groundbreaking genome project
8. Smart flower bulbs pull themselves to deeper ground
9. Local sources major cause of US near-ground aerosol pollution
10. Scientists from the UGR prove that rivers do not act as barriers for groundwater flow
11. Opium and marijuana research go underground
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/24/2013)... the immune system to combat metastatic cancer , ... destruction by the immune system. Stimulation of the immune ... are many factors that cause the immune system to ... that function to suppress the immune system response. In ... , researchers led by Ronald Levy at Stanford University ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... years, microRNAs (miRNAs) and other non-coding RNAs are ... specific proteins. In recent years they have emerged ... to establish tissue origin for cancers of unknown ... screen for disease, but clinically tractable, diagnostic methods ... not currently available. In this issue of the ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... scientists have focused among other factors on drugs ... is the accumulation of A-beta that causes the known plaques ... formation of A-beta is APP. Alessia Soldano and Bassem Hassan ... APPL the fruit-fly version of APP in the ... Leuven): "We have discovered that APPL ensures that brain cells ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 2JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 3JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 4JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 5JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 6JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 7JCI early table of contents for May 24, 2013 8A new strategy required in the search for Alzheimer's drugs? 2
... its kind in Australia, medical scientists have been able for ... the front-line troops that alert our immune system to go ... bloodstream. The discovery overturns prevailing understanding, identifying the exact ... that could lead to treatments for a range of conditions ...
... Ottawa, Canada, June 2, 2011 The International Development Research ... Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ... Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) today announce that five ... million dollars under the International Research Initiative on Adaptation ...
... one involving traditional health club sessions and the other delivered ... of weight and body fat, but the online contingent reported ... healthier and leaner lives. "It,s counter-intuitive, the idea ... activities that they do in a virtual world can carry ...
Cached Biology News:Scientists use super microscope to pinpoint body’s immunity 'switch' 2International research initiative on adaptation to climate change announces research awards 2International research initiative on adaptation to climate change announces research awards 3ACSM: Weight loss success in a 3-D virtual world 2
(Date:5/23/2013)... 23, 2013 Can economic incentives such ... motivate members of the public to increase their donations ... Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Assistant Professor Mario ... to a large body of recent research that supports ... 24, 2013, issue of Science that the World Health ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013  Rahal Letterman Lanigan ... human cord blood stem cell banking and therapeutics, announced ... the No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts Indy car driven by ... the remainder of the IZOD IndyCar 2013 season.   ... will work to support awareness of umbilical cord blood ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... May 23, 2013  Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in ... the first hospital on the West Coast to perform ... surgical option provides women with a state-of-the-art, minimally invasive ... Marc Winter , M.D., a highly regarded ... medical director of minimally invasive surgery at Saddleback Memorial, ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Z Trim Holdings, Inc. (OTC Markets: ZTHO), ... of industries, announced that Chef Erin Ryan ... year,s National Restaurant Association ("NRA") NRA Show, which was ... Research Chefs Association.  Chef Ryan spoke on the subject ... and the Ugly," joining four other prestigious panelists including: ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 2Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 3StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 2StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 3Saddleback Memorial Surgeon First on the West Coast to Perform Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy 2Saddleback Memorial Surgeon First on the West Coast to Perform Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy 3Z Trim's Chef Erin Ryan sits on Expert Panel at NRA Show 2Z Trim's Chef Erin Ryan sits on Expert Panel at NRA Show 3
... HAIKOU CITY, China, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- China ... and,markets specialty pharmaceutical products in China, today announced financial,results for ... Third Quarter 2009 Financial Highlights, ... in the, third quarter ...
... HARBIN, China, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- ... "the Company") (Nasdaq: CSKI ), a,leading fully integrated ... China ("PRC"), today announced that it will,conduct a conference ... Tuesday,November 17, 2009, to discuss its third quarter 2009 ...
... US Oncology, Inc . announced that ... will be departing from the Company, effective November 30, 2009. ... a long and rich history with US Oncology. Beginning in ... consultation as an outside attorney before joining the Company in ...
Cached Biology Technology:China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 2China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 3China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 4China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 5China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 6China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 7China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 8China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Corporate Updates 9China Sky One Medical, Inc. Announces Conference Call to Discuss Third Quarter 2009 Results 2China Sky One Medical, Inc. Announces Conference Call to Discuss Third Quarter 2009 Results 3US Oncology Announces Retirement of General Counsel Phil Watts 2
... ChipReader systems are highly sensitive laser confocal ... These are advanced scanners that meet your ... background level, and optimizing the signal on ... end of the range for increased sensitivity. ...
Bio-Plex Manager software, version 3.0, 5 license netshare, is a five-user software package that provides access to data from the Bio-Plex suspension array system from a server. This version does not...
... of integrins in vascular proliferation, adhesion, and ... family of cell adhesion receptors consists of ... an a and b subunit that associate ... functional diversity of the integrin family are ...
... a cocktail of 3 siRNAs specifically targeted ... most popular product. The siTrio reagent guarantees ... your target gene when used under standard ... confirmation of optimal transfection with one of ...
Biology Products: