Clinical Trials

There is limited information on what causes injury to the heart in individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Researchers in this study want to see if decreased blood flow to the heart during stress could be causing the heart damage seen in SCD patients. They also want to test people who don't have SCD to see if their hearts react the same way under stress.

Primary Objective

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from a substitution in the β chain of hemoglobin (Hb) which causes hemoglobin S to polymerize when deoxygenated. SCD patients present immune abnormalities that have always been attributed to functional asplenia. It it is now being recognized that patients with SCD have a pro-inflammatory condition with altered immune system activation contributing to the pathology of SCD. Increased levels of neutrophils, monocytes or cytokines have been reported in SCD patients.

In sickle cell disease (SCD), polymerisation of haemoglobin S and the resulting shape change of the red blood cells (RBC) lead to vascular occlusion and severe painful crises. Permanent inflammatory state and abnormal RBC adhesion to the endothelium trigger these phenomenon. Hydroxyurea (HU) is the only drug that has been shown to reduce clinical severity of SCD, and this was initially attributed to the stimulation of foetal haemoglobin (HbF).

pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been reported with a prevalence of approximately 30% in adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, with an increased mortality in SCD patients with PAH, compared with those without PAH. The identification of several hemolysis biomarkers such as lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, reticulocytes or hemoglobin level, has clearly documented a link between hemolysis and PAH.

Given large absolute numbers of individuals with sickle cell disease in Nigeria, hydroxyurea therapy for all individuals with sickle cell disease may not be initially feasible; however, a targeted strategy of hydroxyurea use for primary prevention of strokes is an alternative to the standard therapy (observation) for high-risk individuals. The investigators propose a feasibility study, Sickle Cell Disease - Stroke Prevention in Nigeria (SPIN) Trial, to determine whether hydroxyurea can be used for primary prevention of strokes in Nigerian children with sickle cell anemia.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by recurrent vaso-occlusive pain crisis (VOC), which may evolve to acute chest syndrome (ACS), the most common cause of death among adult patients with SCD. Currently, there is no safe and effective treatment to abort VOC or prevent secondary ACS. Management of VOC mostly involve a symptomatic approach including hydration, analgesics, transfusion, and incentive spirometry, which was investigated in a very limited number of patients (\<30).

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of VIT-2763 on markers of hemolysis (breakdown in red blood cells) in sickle cell disease (SCD). The safety, tolerability and clinical beneficial effects of VIT-2763 for the treatment of SCD are also explored.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited disease of the world affecting African and Caribbean populations. SCD is caused by the homozygous inheritance of the gene for sickle hemoglobin (HbS). Most patients with SCD develop abnormal pulmonary function characterized by airway obstruction, restrictive lung disease, abnormal diffusing capacity, hypoxemia and pulmonary hypertension In healthy subjects, lung capillary blood volume (Qc) and membrane diffusing capacity (Dm) can be accurately measured by the nitric oxide-carbon monoxide (NO-CO) method.

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the reported enhanced coagulation status (prothrombotic status) in patients with sickle cell disease using 2 laboratory tests; thromboelastography (TEG) and Endogenous Thrombin Potential (ETP), and comparing the results to healthy race matched controls to ascertain if there is a significant difference. Race matching of the control participants is being carried out due to the well reported racial differences in coagulation parameters that exist in healthy individuals.

This research study is examining multiple doses of voxelotor (a study drug intended for treatment of sickle cell disease) and how it interacts with additional substrates (substrates are drugs or other substances that are metabolized by cytochrome enzymes. The substrates used in this study are FDA approved medications). The study will help to determine the safety and tolerability of the study drugs taken together, as well as the pharmacokinetics (PK) on how your body processes and responds to the combination of the study drug and substrates.