Sickle Cell News | February 2016

Sickle Cell News for February 2016 Antiplatelet Drug Doesn’t Reduce Pain of Sickle Cell Anemia http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2492873 Children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia who received the adenosine diphosphate–directed antiplatelet agent prasugrel had no significant reduction in painful vasoocclusive crises compared with those who received placebo, found a trial conducted in 13 countries (Heeney MM et al. N Engl J Med. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1512021 [published online December 8, 2015]). Previous studies had suggested that prasugrel reduced markers of platelet activation and, consequently, the rate and intensity of vasoocclusive pain in sickle cell anemia. Three Georgia sisters thrive despite sickle cell disease http://www.fox5atlanta.com/health/fox-medical-team/83790802-story The Tyler sisters are tight. 11-year old Amatullah is the tomboy. 10-year old Khadeejah, the princess, who loves pinks.  And 6-year old Hajar just loves to dance and sing.   Watching them play Uno together at their Hampton home, the girls look like the picture of health. But, the sisters were born with the cards stacked against them.  All three, have with sickle cell disease.  At the AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, hematologist Dr. Fola Adisa and her team treat about 1,700 GeAnd at 7, Khadeejah had a stroke. "I was scared for her, I was petrified,” says her mother Mapillar Dahn. "It was on the left side of my brain,” Khadeejah says, “So they had to hook me up to another transfusion." Khadeejah was hospitalized.  This spring, she'll undergo a neurosurgery surgery to repair some damaged blood vessels in her brain.   She's recovered, but is still catching up.Even with the challenges, the girls are learning how to manage their disorders, even thrive with them. “They're pretty aware for kids, and that’s on purpose,” says their mom.  “Because I want them to know what they have. Life is not guaranteed for anybody.  Mommy is not always going to be here. I need them to be able to take care of themselves like Mommy is taking care of them."Mapillar Dahn says, "We are blessed." Because the Tyler girls have something stronger than sickle cell:  each other. "It teaches you to be a little more grateful for what you have, especially for your health,” says Mapillar. Mapillar Dahn recently founded MTS Sickle Cell Foundation, Inc, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping raise awareness and provide support to the sickle cell community. To learn more about the organization and about sickle cell disease, please visit www.MyThreeSicklers.org. New Web Resource – Sickle cell from Blood -  http://www.bloodjournal.org/collection/sickle-cell-disease?sso-checked=true A index of sickle cell articles with the latest research.