Google
Trusted Resources: News & Events
Latest announcements and gatherings
How sickled red blood cells stick to blood vessels
One of the most common complications of sickle-cell disease occurs when deformed red blood cells clump together, blocking tiny blood vessels and causing severe pain and swelling in the affected body parts.
A new study from MIT sheds light on how these events, known as vaso-occlusive pain crises, arise. The findings also represent a step toward being able to predict when such a crisis might occur.
“These painful crises are very much unpredictable. In a sense, we understand why they happen, but we don’t have a good way to predict them yet,” says Ming Dao, a principal research scientist in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and one of the senior authors of the study.
The researchers found that these painful events are most likely to be produced by immature red blood cells, called reticulocytes, which are more prone to stick to blood vessel walls.
+myBinderRelated Content
-
Sickle Cell Disease: Pain ManagementPain is a long-lasting problem for peopl...
-
Red blood cell transfusion to treat or prevent complications in sickle cell disease: An overview of Cochrane reviewsBackground: Globally, sickle cell disea...
-
Patient Perspective: The Journey of Pain in Sickle Cell Diseasehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4raFO0e...
-
Research Team Recognized for Organ-on-a-Chip DesignSCD is a group of genetic disorders that...
-
A multiple drug approach to preventing sickle cell crisisSickle cell disease is characterized by ...
-
SCD Patients Benefit From Early Rivipansel Treatment for VOCs, New Analyses ShowStarting treatment with rivipansel (GMI-...
-
New Research Suggests SANGUINATE™ Reduces the Number of Sickled Red Blood Cells in Patients with Vaso-Occlusive Cr...SANGUINATE™, the only investigational ...
To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
Powered by
Support for this site is provided by
This platform is made possible through a partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) and its member organizations. SCDAA's mission is to advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empower community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure.