Sickle cell research using biochip technology advances at University Hospitals, CWRU
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A new study that recently began enrolling patients at University Hospitals Case Medical Center is using biochip technology that one day may help physicians better manage the treatment of patients with sickle cell disease.Sickle cell disease is one of the most common genetic diseases in the United States; sickle cell anemia affects an estimated 100,000 people, mainly African Americans.
The disease can cause frequent bouts of joint or organ pain, vulnerability to infection, stroke, slow growth or internal organ damage.
When red blood cells sickle, or become malformed (shaped like a sickle or a crescent), it makes blood flow and oxygen flow to nearby tissue more difficult, causing pain and organ injury.
The biochip technology determines the "stickiness" of red blood cells – a quality that physicians think can indicate something about disease activity.
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2014/12/sickle_cell_research_using_biochip_technology_advances_at_university_hospitals_cwru.html
