This Week In Sickle Cell News August 4th to 1oth

By Sean Marshall

Good news from The Washington Post, according to an article published on washingtonpost.com doctor Griffin Rodgers along with The National Institute of Health or the NIH for short. His team according to The Washington Post has created “the first effective therapy for sickle cell disease.”

The NIH researchers along with Rodgers have now developed a “modified blood stem-cell transplant regimen.” The regiment itself is highly effective in reversing sickle cell in adults. According to the article these findings were based off of a clinical trial involving 30 adult patients.

If you would like to learn more about Rodgers or the article follow the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/nih-scientist-transforming-treatment-of-sickle-cell-disease/2014/08/05/bafe3d4c-1ca6-11e4-ae54-0cfe1f974f8a_story.html 

Shocking news out of Nigeria this week, at least 100, 000 babies die from sickle cell disorder every year according to statistics gathered by the World Health Organization. These statistics were first brought to the public’s attention by PM news, one of Nigeria’s news organizations. If PM News is right the world Health Organization (WHO) “Nigeria showed 75 per cent of infant sickle cell cases in Africa and almost 80 per cent of infants die from the disease in the continent.”

It is also explained that Nigeria has the largest population of individuals affected by sickle cell disease. The article gave further evidence of this fact including such startling numbers like “over 40 million Nigerians as carriers and an estimated 1,000,000 living with sickle cell disorder in Nigeria.”

Because of the staggering numbers many efforts have been out in place including the Tolulope Akinduro Foundation, a center for hemoglobin disorder management and prevention center. The center was named after a young doctor who passed away July 15 2013 from sickle cell anemia.

According to the National Director of SCFN, Dr. Annette explained the easiest way to combat sickle cell anemia disorder is with genetic counselling. “Genetic counselling is giving unbiased information in a structured cohesive manner. It is a gateway for effective care and management of sickle cell anemia.”

If you would like to read more about Dr. Annette, Tolulope Akinduro or just more information about the article go to the link: http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2014/08/06/100000-babies-die-of-sickle-cell-disorder-in-nigeria-annually-who/ 

A United States court case involving sickle cell anemia went public this week. The news appeared on courthousenews.com and covered the death of a Berkly football player with sickle cell anemia. In Oakland California a university football player by the name of Erik Plancher died due to an over intensive work out his trainer.  

According to the report Plancher’s family felt the training drills were “extremely intensive and egregiously inappropriate, given his condition.” The defendants in this case being is the regents of the University of Central Florida. However the case itself had named the head athletic trainer at the time a one Robert Jackson. The Plancher family was awarded “10 million dollars against the UCF Athletics Association.”  No further details have surfaced.

If you would like to learn more about the case head to the link provided: http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/08/07/70179.htm 

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