New treatment approaches for acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease
Therapeutic Targets in Acute Chest Syndrome
This project looks at whether increasing levels of a protective protein called HO-1 can help people with sickle cell disease survive acute chest syndrome.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11343275 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have sickle cell disease and get acute chest syndrome (ACS), this project studies a natural protein called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) that helps clear toxic heme from the blood. Researchers observed that children have higher HO-1 levels and that giving extra HO-1 improved survival in adult mice with ACS, so they will measure HO-1 in blood and study how HO-1 is regulated in people with SCD. The team will also test a lab-made (recombinant) HO-1 treatment in preclinical models to see if it reduces lung injury and improves survival. The aim is to find out whether replacing or boosting HO-1 could become a new molecular therapy for ACS.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with sickle cell disease who have had or are at high risk for acute chest syndrome and who can provide blood samples or join clinical follow-up.
Not a fit: People without sickle cell disease or with lung problems not caused by acute chest syndrome are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new therapy that prevents or reduces life-threatening lung injury during ACS in people with sickle cell disease.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies showed that supplementing HO-1 improved survival in mice with ACS, but using recombinant HO-1 in humans is novel and has not yet been tested clinically.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ofori-Acquah, Solomon Fiifi — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Ofori-Acquah, Solomon Fiifi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.