Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
A Procedure to Convert Sickle Cell Red Blood Cells (RBCs) to Normal RBCs Dr. Marina Kameneva of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and her team have partnered with CMI to begin development of a real-world procedure to convert Sickle Cell Disease red blood cells (RBC HbS) into normal, healthy cells (RBC Hb). Sickle Cell Disease is caused by mutant hemoglobin (HbS), which forces RBCs into a sickle shape, making them ridged and sticky. This in turn leads to blocked blood vessels, severe pain, and organ damage, shortening patients’ lives (Figure 1). The procedure under development aims to withdraw patient’s blood, remove the mutant HbS solution from RBCs, and replace it with healthy donor hemoglobin solution (Hb) before returning these blood cells to the patient. In its final form, the procedure will look similar to kidney dialysis (Figure 2). Figure 1: A comparison of normal and Sickle Cell Disease red blood cells2 Sickle Cell Disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans, primarily of African descent. It is even more common in Africa (approximately 1 of 100 children are born with the disease), and Southeast Asia. Over time, patients with the disease will develop multiple organ failure, leading to a realty reduced life expectancy, as well as enormous medical expenses. Current treatments involve drugs and transfusions of donor blood in exchange for sickle cell blood. However, the drugs are expensive and often have dangerous side effects. Donor blood transfusions often trigger immune responses (especially across different races), which can nullify the treatment or even lead to death. The proposed new procedure replaces the defective protein inside the RBCs, instead of the cells themselves, eliminating the potential immune response and providing a more effective treatment with enhanced long-term viability. Figure 2: A general diagram of the procedure Biography1: Dr. Marina Kameneva is a Research Professor of Surgery and Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the Director of the Artificial Blood Program at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Kameneva received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the School of Mathematics and Mechanics at Moscow State University (former Soviet Union) and subsequently worked at the Research Institute of Mechanics, Moscow State University. After emigration to the United States, Dr. Kameneva joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh as a Visiting Scientist of the Artificial Heart and Lung Program and was appointed as a Research Assistant Professor of Surgery in 1996, as a Research Associate Professor of Surgery in 2000, and as Research Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering in 2006. Her major areas of expertise are biorheology, hemorheology, macro- and microhemodynamics, drag-reducing polymers (DRPs) and their potential biomedical applications, and mechanical blood trauma in artificial organs. She is the author of over 400 peer reviewed journal articles, conference/symposia proceedings, and abstracts, as well as several book chapters in the areas of Fluid Mechanics, Bioengineering, and Biorheology. Bibliography: 1. http://www.mirm.pitt.edu/people/bios/Kameneva1.asp 2. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca