Hello All!
Sickle Cell Disease dramatically increases the odds of bacterial infections. The case is particularly so for African patients who reportedly face 13 - 36 times greater odds of infection with the presence of SCD.(Ramakrishnan et al, 2010) Understanding this link between bacterial infections and SCD is crucial to the development of effective therapies for SCD patients. Researchers at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN, recently identified differences in the genetic code of pneumococcal bacteria that shed light on why it poses such a risk to children with SCD and is resistant to current vaccines.(Click for more). In another finding, researchers st the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have found that inhibiting the lipid mediator sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) in mice led to longer living and less sickle-prone red blood cells. Furthermore, they found that treating the blood of SCD patients with SphK1, led to fewer sickle cells. (Click for more)
These discoveries and those that follow indicate the strides being taken towards finding effective treatment for SCD patients worldwide!
More of this week's discoveries:
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