http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Results of a preliminary study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins show that "mini" stem cell transplantation may safely reverse severe sickle cell disease in adults. http://www.physorg.com/news179602876.html Medicine & Health Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:42:02 EST news179602876 A new genetic approach to treating sickle cell disease is showing promising results in mice, report researchers from Children's Hospital Boston. By inactivating a gene they previously discovered to be important in the laboratory, they were able to boost production of a healthy fetal form of hemoglobin in the mice, potentially compensating for the defective adult hemoglobin that causes red blood cells to "sickle" and obstruct blood flow. http://www.physorg.com/news179420948.html Medicine & Health Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:09:46 EST news179420948 Infection with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, causes more life-threatening complications than seasonal flu in children with sickle cell disease, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center. The findings, to be presented on Dec. 7 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, warn parents and caregivers that such children are more likely to need emergency treatment and stays in an intensive-care unit. http://www.physorg.com/news179401986.html Medicine & Health Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:20:01 EST news179401986 A new study by researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, found a substantial variation in hydroxyurea utilization for pain and other sickle cell disease complications in children. Barriers to its use on the part of both providers and patients were also identified. The study led by Amanda M. Brandow, DO, MS, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College and Children's Research Institute at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, will be presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting Dec. 7, 2009, in New Orleans. http://www.physorg.com/news179328399.html Medicine & Health Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:30:35 EST news179328399 An extract in red grape skin may be a new treatment for sickle cell disease, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. http://www.physorg.com/news175458089.html Medicine & Health Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:01 EST news175458089 Children in Africa with sickle cell anaemia are dying unnecessarily from bacterial infections, suggests the largest study of its kind, funded by the Wellcome Trust. The results are published today in the journal the Lancet. The study has prompted calls for all children in Africa to receive vaccinations against the most common bacterial infections. http://www.physorg.com/news171743469.html Medicine & Health Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:50:05 EST news171743469 In a recent issue of The Journal of Chemical Physics, published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), a group of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Los Alamos National Laboratory describe the first comprehensive, molecular-level numerical study of gene therapy. Their work should help scientists design new experimental gene therapies and possibly solve some of the problems associated with this promising technique. http://www.physorg.com/news160238845.html Physics Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:47:50 EST news160238845 A program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and St. Louis Children's Hospital designed to increase awareness about sickle cell disease and the importance of blood donations within the African-American faith community led to a 60 percent increase in first-time blood donations, a new study has found. http://www.physorg.com/news148582103.html Medicine & Health Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:48:23 EST news148582103 Screening with an ultrasound machine has proved highly successful in preventing stroke among children with sickle cell disease, by identifying children who are then preventively treated with blood transfusions. Over an eight-year period at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers found that the technique, transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD), along with regular transfusions for children found to be at high risk, reduced stroke to one-tenth of the incidence found before TCD was introduced. http://www.physorg.com/news147795890.html Medicine & Health Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:24:50 EST news147795890 Researchers have identified a gene that directly affects the production of a form of hemoglobin that is instrumental in modifying the severity of the inherited blood disorders sickle cell disease and thalassemia. The discovery could lead to breakthrough therapies for sickle cell disease and thalassemia, which could potentially eliminate the devastating and life-threatening complications of these diseases, such as severe pain, damage to the eyes and other organs, infections, and stroke. http://www.physorg.com/news147622782.html Medicine & Health Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:19:42 EST news147622782 Using a harmless virus to insert a corrective gene into mouse blood cells, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have alleviated sickle cell disease pathology. In their studies, the researchers found that the treated mice showed essentially no difference from normal mice. Although the scientists caution that applying the gene therapy to humans presents significant technical obstacles, they believe that the new therapy will become an important treatment for the disease. http://www.physorg.com/news147533138.html Medicine & Health Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:25:38 EST news147533138 A new study finds that youth populations with sickle cell disease (SCD) are receiving inadequate healthcare, and thus may fail to benefit from scientific advances. The study, published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer, finds that the patients, mostly African Americans, often lack insurance or access to specialized sickle cell centers for treatment. http://www.physorg.com/news146769463.html Medicine & Health Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:17:43 EST news146769463 A unique approach to bone marrow transplantation pioneered in part by a Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC physician has proven to be the only safe and effective cure for sickle cell disease, according to a new study. http://www.physorg.com/news145274886.html Medicine & Health Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:08:06 EST news145274886 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. http://www.physorg.com/news135358157.html Medicine & Health Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:29:17 EST news135358157