Uncovering new therapeutic targets for airway inflammation in sickle cell disease

New Rochelle, NY, September 30, 2019–A new study by De, Agrawal, Morrone et al, chal-lenges the common notion that airway inflammation in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is secondary to asthma, even though the two disorders often coexist. In a recent pilot, cross sectional study, both systemic and airway inflammatory markers were compared in patients with sickle cell disease with and without asthma or obstructive airway symptoms. Their findings suggest that monocytes may play an important role in pulmonary inflammation in SCD. They propose that additional studies looking into the underlying mechanisms of pulmonary inflammation in SCD may help researchers to develop more targeted therapies for these patients. These findings are published in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Click here to read the full-text article free on the Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology website through October 30, 2019.

The article entitled “Airway Inflammation and Lung Function in Sickle Cell Disease” was coauthored by Aliva De, MD, Columbia University Medical Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY and colleagues from The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.

Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology Editor-in-Chief Mary Cataletto, MD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, reminds us that sickle cell disease affects millions of people throughout the world with significant respiratory morbidity. Studies have shown between 15% and 28% of children with SCD suffer from asthma symptoms while at least 55% demonstrate airway hyperreactivity without a diagnosis of asthma. Interest in comorbid asthma with SCD has been increasing as it has been linked to outcomes. A better understanding of the underlying cause of pulmonary inflammation in SCD could generate new targets for treatment.

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Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal published online with open access options and in print that synthesizes the pulmonary, al-lergy, and immunology communities in the advancement of the respiratory health of chil-dren. Led by Editor-in-Chief Mary Cataletto, MD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, the Journal provides comprehensive coverage to further the understanding and optimize the treatment of some of the most common and costly chronic illnesses in children. It includes original translational, clinical, and epidemio-logic research; public health, quality improvement, and case control studies; patient educa-tion research; and the latest research and standards of care for functional and genetic im-mune deficiencies and interstitial lung diseases. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology website.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, Breastfeeding Medicine, and Population Health Management. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publisher’s website.