Understanding blood cell changes in sickle cell disease

Researchers want to understand how megakaryocytes—cells that make platelets—behave differently in people with sickle cell disease. By studying blood samples from patients during healthy periods and during sickle cell crises, they hope to learn whether these cells play a role in complications like acute chest syndrome and pain crises.

Sickle cell disease causes chronic inflammation and blood clotting problems that lead to serious complications. While doctors know that platelets become overactive in this disease, very little is known about the cells that produce them. Understanding these cells could reveal new ways to prevent or treat life-threatening complications like acute chest syndrome, which is the leading cause of death in sickle cell patients.