Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) impairs oxygen transport to tissue and causes endothelial injury. Thus, therapeutic interventions aim to improve both, but there is an unmet need for biomarkers to determine when intervention is necessary and evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen intervention in individual patients. This study proposes to monitor SCD and its treatment through their impact on cerebral hemodynamics, as the brain is one of the most vulnerable and consequential targets of the disease. Specifically, this study will optimize quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and advanced optical spectroscopy techniques such as frequency-domain near-infrared and diffuse correlation spectroscopies (FDNIRS-DCS) to monitor 1) cerebral oxygen transport with measures of cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) and 2) endothelial function with cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Additionally, this study aims to monitor baseline cerebral oxygen transport and CVR, as well as changes that occur with treatment (transfusion or genetic therapy to induce fetal hemoglobin) and assess hemoglobinopathy patients with known genotypes and phenotypes. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate the potential of this monitoring approach to select individual SCD subjects for interventions and evaluate individual responses to treatment. Success will help justify inclusion of these modalities in ongoing and future clinical trials of novel SCD therapies. Read Less

The proposed study is a Phase 1/2 multi-center study evaluating the safety and efficacy of erythropoietin (EPO) in combination with hydroxyurea in the treatment of chronic anemia in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Read Less

The study will use web-based data collection (SCKnowIQ) and intervention delivery strategies enhanced by nudges and tailored boosters in a sample of 430 adult men and women, aged 18-45 yr with SCD (Sickle Cell Disease) or SCT (Sickle Cell Trait), at-risk, and planning within 2 years to have a child free of SCD. Read Less

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) exhibit significantly reduced cognitive functioning (often difficulties with attention) compared to peers and siblings without SCD. EndeavorRx (Akili Interactive Labs: Boston, MA) is an FDA-approved home-based, electronic attentional-control training program designed to treat attention problems in youth. Users access EndeavorRx on a tablet device for 25-30 minutes each day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks. The program involves training in a game-like environment that repeatedly challenges attentional-control abilities and adapts to user performance, becoming more difficult over time as performance improves. This pilot study is examining the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of EndeavorRx in a sample of 20 children with SCD ages 8-16 who are being treated with chronic blood transfusion therapy. Read Less

This phase I trial tests the safety and effectiveness of total marrow and lymphoid irradiation (TMLI) and alemtuzumab as a conditioning regimen in patients with sickle cell disease. Conditioning regimens are treatments used to prepare a patient for stem cell transplantation. A stem cell transplant is a procedure in which a person receives blood stem cells, which make any type of blood cell. A conditioning regimen may include chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, and radiation to the entire body. It helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood stem cells to grow, and helps prevent the patient's body from rejecting the transplanted cells. Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a complication that may occur after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in which donated cells view the recipient's cells as foreign and attack them. Giving TMLI and alemtuzumab may help reduce organ damage that can be caused by radiation and decrease the risk of GVHD. Read Less

A randomized, double blind, study of dronabinol as a palliative agent in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and other complications of sickle cell disease (SCD). Read Less

The purpose of the study is to better understand how the body handles sugars glucose and fats, such as cholesterol and triglycerides in sickle cell disease, and what puts certain persons at risk to develop diabetes. This understanding may help us to find new treatments to control blood sugar and prevent diabetes in people with and without sickle cell disease (SCD). In this research, DNA and RNA will be isolated from blood cells. DNA will be used to find genes that cause or protect from diabetes, high cholesterol and high triglyceride, and RNA will be used for studies designed to find out how genes are doing their job of eventually producing proteins. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to determine whether giving extra arginine to patients with sickle cell disease seeking treatment for vaso-occlusive painful events (VOE) will decrease pain scores, decrease need for pain medications or decrease length of hospital stay or emergency department visit. Read Less

In this protocol, the investigators propose to evaluate the biochemical effects of imatinib on sickle red blood cells (RBCs). Patients will be administered imatinib mesylate orally following the guidelines previously established for use of imatinib in other disorders. The biochemical effects of imatinib on sickle RBCs will be examined, including changes in their levels of band 3 tyrosine phosphorylation and the abundances of RBC-derived microparticles in their blood. In addition, the patients will be monitored for symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD). The investigators expect band 3 tyrosine phosphorylation to decrease dramatically in patients treated with imatinib. The investigators also anticipate a reduction in the numbers of RBC-derived microparticles in circulation (quantitated by assaying the number of glycophorin A positive microparticles in peripheral blood samples by flow cytometry. Most importantly, the investigators expect to see a reduction in the frequency of vaso-occlusive crises, and possibly acute chest syndrome and utilization of opioids. The study duration is planned as 6 months in order to provide adequate time for potential change in the primary endpoints (e.g. percent irreversibly sickled cells). Read Less

The purpose of this study is to develop a safe and curative stem cell transplant approach to treating sickle cell disease by assessing the safety of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using αβ+ T-cell depletion for children and adolescents with severe sickle cell disease (SCD). Read Less

This Phase I clinical trial will assess the safety and initial evidence for efficacy of an autologous transplant of lentiviral vector modified peripheral blood for adults with severe sickle cell disease. Read Less

The purpose of this study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a personalized exercise training program adapted from Gerofit to improve physical health and quality of life for adults with SCD Read Less