View clinical trials related to Sickle Cell Trait.
Filter by:This study will collect representative blood samples from healthy children and adults and from children and adults who have unique red blood cell features that are related to sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a blood disease that limits the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. The purpose of the study is to collect a variety of blood samples that may then be used to investigate advances and potential new drug treatments for sickle cell disease. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of old. Samples will be taken both from healthy volunteers and from volunteers who have unique red blood cell features that are related to sickle cell disease. Candidates will be screened with a medical history. During the study, participants will undergo a one- to two-hour outpatient procedure at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Once researchers have explained the study and obtained the participant s consent, participants will donate 8 cc (approximately 2 teaspoons) of blood. Because repeat testing helps researchers validate study findings, participants who have the unique red blood cell features mentioned above may also be asked if they are willing to return and donate another 2 cc to 8 cc of blood for additional studies. The amount of blood drawn will not exceed 50 ml with any eight-week period for adults or 7 cc within any six-week period for children....
This study will determine the best ways to collect, process and store umbilical cord blood from babies with sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait and unaffected babies. Sickle cell disease is an abnormality of the hemoglobin in red blood cells that causes the cells to change shape and clump together, preventing their normal flow in the bloodstream. This impairs blood flow to various organs, and the resulting oxygen deprivation causes organ damage. Cord blood is rich in stem cells (cells produced in the bone marrow that mature to different types of blood cells), which may prove useful in new sickle cell therapies. However, cord blood from babies with sickle cell trait, sickle cell disease and normal babies may act differently under laboratory conditions, so it is important to learn how best to work with blood from all three groups of babies for future use in possible treatments. Pregnant women between 18 and 45 years of age who are at risk of having an infant with sickle cell disease and normal volunteers who are pregnant and not at risk for this disease may be eligible for this study. Potential participants will be counseled about donating her infant s blood in order to make an informed choice. All women who participate in the study will provide a medical history and have blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta (afterbirth) after the baby s delivery. The blood will be tested for various infectious diseases, processed, frozen and stored for research purposes. In addition, blood from women with babies at risk for sickle cell disease will be tested for the presence of the sickle cell gene, tissue typed, and used for research as follows: - Sickle cell disease - If cord blood tests show the baby has sickle cell disease, the blood will be frozen for an indefinite period of time for possible use in future treatment of the child. This treatment could include stem cell transplantation or gene therapy, treatments are not currently considered routine for sickle cell disease. - Sickle cell trait or normal hemoglobin - If cord blood tests show the baby has sickle cell trait or is unaffected, the blood will be processed and stored for up to 3 years, during which time it may possibly be used to treat a currently living or future sibling with sickle cell disease. After 3 years, the participant may agree to either have the blood discarded, given to research or moved to another facility for continued storage at the participant s expense, if there is a storage fee. Alternatively, if there is no anticipated future need for the collected blood, or if it does not meet standards needed for future treatment, it will be used in NIH-approved research studies. Participants and their family doctor or the baby s pediatrician will be contacted twice a year for information about changes in the baby s health. Participants may also be asked permission to perform new tests developed by researchers. ...
This study will examine the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on bone marrow stem cells in healthy volunteers with sickle cell trait and determine if cells collected for transplantation from donors with sickle cell trait require special handling. Stem cells, which the bone marrow produces, are responsible for making all the different kinds of blood cells. They are the cells used in bone marrow, or stem cell, transplantation. The drug G-CSF, which is a naturally occurring hormone, causes stem cells to mobilize-that is, to be released from the bone marrow and enter the blood stream. This drug is given to stem cell donors to increase the amount of cells that can be collected. Stem cell donors for patients with sickle cell disease are often healthy siblings of the patient who have a matching bone marrow type. Some siblings carry the sickle cell trait, however, and, even though they do not have sickle cell disease and their blood and bone marrow are normal, it is not known how their cells will react to G-CSF stimulation. Nor is it known if their stem cells require special methods of removal, processing or storing. Healthy volunteers 18 years or older with sickle cell trait who have no history of sickle cell disease and no known medical problems may be eligible for this study. Participants will have a medical history and physical examination, including blood tests and urinalysis. They will receive injections of G-CSF under the skin once a day for 5 days. On the fifth day, stem cells will be collected through leukapheresis. In this procedure, whole blood is drawn from an arm vein, similar to donating whole blood. The blood then circulates through a cell separator machine, the stem cells are removed, and the rest of the blood is transfused back to the donor through a vein in the other arm. The information gained from this study will be used to ensure the safety of stem cell donors with sickle cell trait and to better prepare stem cells for transplantation in sickle cell patients.