Project description:Sickle cell anemia is associated with unusual clinical heterogeneity for a Mendelian disorder. Fetal hemoglobin concentration and coincident α thalassemia, both which directly affect the sickle erythrocyte, are the major modulators of the phenotype of disease. Understanding the genetics underlying the heritable subphenotypes of sickle cell anemia would be prognostically useful, could inform personalized therapeutics, and might help the discovery of new "druggable" pathophysiologic targets. Genotype-phenotype association studies have been used to identify novel genetic modifiers. In the future, whole genome sequencing with its promise of discovering hitherto unsuspected variants could add to our understanding of the genetic modifiers of this disease.
Project description:Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common inherited hemoglobinopathy disorders that affects millions of people worldwide. Reactivation of HBG (HBG1, HBG2) gene expression and induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is an important therapeutic strategy for ameliorating the clinical symptoms and severity of SCD. Hydroxyurea is the only US FDA-approved drug with proven efficacy to induce HbF in SCD patients, yet serious complications have been associated with its use. Over the last three decades, numerous additional pharmacological agents that reactivate HBG transcription in vitro have been investigated, but few have proceeded to FDA approval, with the exception of arginine butyrate and decitabine; however, neither drug met the requirements for routine clinical use due to difficulties with oral delivery and inability to achieve therapeutic levels. Thus, novel approaches that produce sufficient efficacy, specificity, and sustainable HbF induction with low adverse effects are desirable. More recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have gained attention for their diagnostic and therapeutic potential to treat various diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease via targeting oncogenes and their gene products. Thus, it is plausible that miRNAs that target HBG regulatory genes may be useful for inducing HbF as a treatment for SCD. Our laboratory and others have documented the association of miRNAs with HBG activation or suppression via silencing transcriptional repressors and activators, respectively, of HBG expression. Herein, we review progress made in understanding molecular mechanisms of miRNA-mediated HBG regulation and discuss the extent to which molecular targets of HBG might be suitable prospects for development of SCD clinical therapy. Lastly, we discuss challenges with the application of miRNA delivery in vivo and provide potential strategies for overcoming barriers in the future.
Project description:Genetic variants at three quantitative trait loci (QTL) for fetal haemoglobin (HbF), BCL11A, HBS1L-MYB and the β-globin gene cluster, have attracted interest as potential targets of therapeutic strategies for HbF reactivation in sickle cell anaemia (SCA). We carried out the first systematic evaluation of critical single nucleotide polymorphisms at these disease modifier loci in Nigerian patients with SCA. Common variants for BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB were strongly associated with HbF levels. At both loci, secondary association signals were detected, illustrating the mapping resolution attainable in this population. For BCL11A, the two independent sites of association were represented by rs1427407 (primary site, p = 7.0 x 10(-10)) and rs6545816 (secondary site, conditioned on rs1427407: p = 0.02) and for HBS1L-MYB by rs9402686 (HMIP-2B, p = 1.23 x 10(-4)) and rs66650371 (HMIP-2A, p = 0.002). Haplotype analysis revealed similarities in the genetic architecture of BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB in Nigerian patients. Variants at both loci also alleviated anaemia. The variant allele for the γ globin gene promoter polymorphism XmnI-HBG2 was too infrequent in our patients to be evaluated in this relatively small study. Studying the large and diverse SCA patient populations in African countries such as Nigeria will be key for a clearer understanding of how these loci work and for the discovery of new disease modifier genes.
Project description:BackgroundSickle cell anemia (SCA) is a clinically heterogeneous, monogenic disorder. Medical care has less-than-optimal impact on clinical outcomes in SCA in Africa due to several factors, including patient accessibility, poor access to resources, and non-availability of specific effective interventions for SCA.MethodsAgainst this background, we investigated 192 African participants who underwent whole exome sequencing. Participants included 105 SCA patients spanning variable clinical expression: a "long survivor" group (age over 40 years), a "stroke" group (at least one episode of overt stroke), and a "random" group (patients younger than 40 years without overt cerebrovascular disease). Fifty-eight ethnically matched homozygous hemoglobin A controls were also studied. Findings were validated in an independently recruited sample of 29 SCA patients. Statistical significance of the mutational burden of deleterious and loss-of-function variants per gene against a null model was estimated for each group, and gene-set association tests were conducted to test differences between groups.ResultsIn the "long survivor" group, deleterious/loss-of-function variants were enriched in genes including CLCN6 (a voltage-dependent chloride channel for which rare deleterious variants have been associated with lower blood pressure) and OGHDL (important in arginine metabolism, which is a therapeutic target in SCA). In the "stroke" group, significant genes implicated were associated with increased activity of the blood coagulation cascade and increased complement activation, for example, SERPINC1, which encodes antithrombin. Oxidative stress and glutamate biosynthesis pathways were enriched in "long survivors" group. Published transcriptomic evidence provides functional support for the role of the identified pathways.ConclusionsThis study provides new gene sets that contribute to variability in clinical expression of SCA. Identified genes and pathways suggest new avenues for other interventions.
Project description:Social determinants of health (SDoH) may impact outcomes in sickle cell disease (SCD). We conducted a comprehensive literature review of five electronic databases to elucidate the relationship between SDoH and SCD, and identify gaps in the literature. Our search yielded 59 articles, which we organized into five SDoH areas: Neighborhood and Built Environment, Health and Healthcare, Social and Community Context, Education, and Economic Stability. We found that social determinants, such as access to healthcare, were inconsistently evaluated. Improved recognition and understanding of SDoH should enhance the development of programs that directly address its detrimental effects on patients with SCD.
Project description:This review outlines the current clinical research investigating how the haptoglobin (Hp) genetic polymorphism and stroke occurrence are implicated in sickle cell disease (SCD) pathophysiology. Hp is a blood serum glycoprotein responsible for binding and removing toxic free hemoglobin from the vasculature. The role of Hp in patients with SCD is critical in combating blood toxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and even stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blocked vessel decreases oxygen delivery in the blood to cerebral tissue and is commonly associated with SCD. Due to the malformed red blood cells of sickle hemoglobin S, blockage of blood flow is much more prevalent in patients with SCD. This review is the first to evaluate the role of the Hp polymorphism in the incidence of stroke in patients with SCD. Overall, the data compiled in this review suggest that further studies should be conducted to reveal and evaluate potential clinical advancements for gene therapy and Hp infusions.
Project description:Standardized programming for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) transitioning from pediatric to adult-centered care does not currently exist, resulting in high rates of mortality and morbidity. This scoping review examines and evaluates the current literature on SCD transition programs and interventions. Eligible studies described an existing program for individuals with SCD aged 12-29 years preparing to transition. The Evidence Project risk-of-bias tool was used to assess article quality. We identified 30 eligible articles, of which, only two were randomized controlled trials. Many studies have incomplete reports of feasibility information, such as completion rates, patient characteristics, and attrition; all studies were limited to a single institution; and most studies were rated high for risk of bias. Progress has been made in designing and gathering initial evaluation data for SCD transition programs; however, there is a need for higher quality studies, consistent assessment, and better dissemination of programs.
Project description:Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited blood disorders that have in common a mutation in the sixth codon of the β-globin (HBB) gene on chromosome 11. However, people with the same genetic mutation display a wide range of clinical phenotypes. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression is an important genetic modifier of SCD complications leading to milder symptoms and improved long-term survival. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a case-control experimental design in 244 African Americans with SCD to discover genetic factors associated with HbF expression. The case group consisted of subjects with HbF≥8.6% (133 samples) and control group subjects with HbF≤£3.1% (111 samples). Our GWAS results replicated SNPs previously identified in an erythroid-specific enhancer region located in the second intron of the BCL11A gene associated with HbF expression. In addition, we identified SNPs in the SPARC, GJC1, EFTUD2 and JAZF1 genes as novel candidates associated with HbF levels. To gain insights into mechanisms of globin gene regulation in the HBB locus, linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analyses were conducted. We observed strong LD in the low HbF group in contrast to a loss of LD and greater number of haplotypes in the high HbF group. A search of known HBB locus regulatory elements identified SNPs 5' of δ-globin located in an HbF silencing region. In particular, SNP rs4910736 created a binding site for a known transcription repressor GFi1 which is a candidate protein for further investigation. Another HbF-associated SNP, rs2855122 in the cAMP response element upstream of Gγ-globin, was analyzed for functional relevance. Studies performed with siRNA-mediated CREB binding protein (CBP) knockdown in primary erythroid cells demonstrated γ-globin activation and HbF induction, supporting a repressor role for CBP. This study identifies possible molecular determinants of HbF production.
Project description:Genetic differences in endothelial biology could underlie development of phenotypic heterogeneity amongst individuals afflicted with vascular diseases. We obtained BOEC (blood outgrowth endothelial cells) from 20 subjects with sickle cell anemia (age 4-19) shown to be either at-risk (n=11) or not-at-risk (n=9) for ischemic stroke due to, respectively, having or not having occlusive disease at the Circle of Willis (CoW). Gene expression profiling identified no significant single gene differences between the two groups, as expected. However, analysis of Biological Systems Scores, using gene sets that were pre-determined to survey each of nine biological systems, showed that only changes in inflammation signaling are characteristic of the at-risk subjects, as supported by multiple statistical approaches Keywords: disease status analysis