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Sickle Cell Disease
The Sickle Cell program has several areas of research. Our team is exploring cerebrovascular damage in sickle cell, mechanism of stroke occurrence, prevention of overt, and silent infarcts, as well as the prevention of learning disabilities and expressive language. We are also involved in prevention of end organ damage in babies with sickle cell disease, with the administration of hydroxyurea before the chronic sickling typical of the disease has damaged vital organs, such as the spleen, the kidney and the brain. Other area of research involve immunobiology, where we are looking into genetic mechanisms of predisposition to auto and alloantibody formation after packed red cell transfusion. Lastly, but extremely relevant, is our newest research in the pathogenesis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension, a very serious complication of sickle cell in adults and young adults.
Related Links
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
www.sicklecelldisease.org
Provides education, screening, genetic counseling, technical assistance, tutorial services, vocational rehabilitation, and research support in the United States and Canada.
Medline
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Contact Information:
Caterina P. Minniti, MD
Children’s Research Institute
Research Center for Genetic Medicine
Children's National Medical Center
111 Michigan Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20010
202-476-2887
cminniti@cnmc.org
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