ironjustice

<<snip>>
anti-sickling agent binds to hemoglobin to increase the oxygen affinity
of both normal and sickle hemoglobin
<<snip>>
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Isn't that what vitamin E .. does .. ? Which may explain the .. luck ..
they are having with vitamin E ..?
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Source: Virginia Commonwealth University Released: Tue 07-Nov-2006,
16:55 ET
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Researchers Develop Novel Method for Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease
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Medical News Keywords
SICKLE CELL, SICKLE CELL DISEASE, SICKLE CELL TREATMENT, PATENT
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Description

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have developed a unique
anti-sickling agent that may one day be effective in treating sickle
cell disease, a painful and debilitating genetic blood disorder that
affects approximately 80,000 Americans.

Newswise — Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have
developed a unique anti-sickling agent that may one day be effective in
treating sickle cell disease, a painful and debilitating genetic blood
disorder that affects approximately 80,000 Americans.

The research team led by Donald Abraham, Ph.D., of Biological and
Medicinal Chemistry, in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry in
VCU’s School of Pharmacy, has shown that 5-HMF, a pure compound
developed by the team, has a high affinity for sickle cell hemoglobin
and holds promise for the treatment of sickle cell disease.

“Our findings suggest that this anti-sickling agent may lead to new
drug treatments and may one day help those suffering with sickle cell
disease. This molecule, 5-HMF, is the most promising molecule to treat
sickle cell anemia to come from our research group in more than 30
years,� said Abraham, who is also the director of the Institute of
Structural Biology and Drug Discovery.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently issued VCU a
Notice of Allowance for a patent relating to a method of treating
sickle cell disease with 5-HMF compound. A Notice of Allowance is a

Sickle cell disease is caused by an abnormality in the hemoglobin
molecule. Normal red blood cells carrying hemoglobin are smooth, round
and flexible and can travel easily throughout blood vessels. However,
sickle cells are stiff, abnormally shaped, red blood cells that do not
flow freely through blood vessels. The sickle cells also may clot
together causing a blockage to form which results in pain and
potentially dangerous complications that can compromise a patient’s
organs.

According to Abraham, the 5-membered, heterocyclic, anti-sickling agent
binds to hemoglobin to increase the oxygen affinity of both normal and
sickle hemoglobin. In a patient with sickle cell disease, the binding
action of 5-HMF would allow sickle cells to move more smoothly
throughout the blood vessels of the body and prevent blockages from
forming.

Abraham is internationally known for his groundbreaking work
discovering and developing drugs that interact with hemoglobin. His
research focus is to develop targeted the****utics in sickle cell
anemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease
and radiation oncology.

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National
Institutes of Health.

Xechem International, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company headquartered
in New Brunswick, N.J., has entered into a licensing agreement with VCU
Technology Transfer and has the exclusive worldwide rights for the
production, sales and marketing of 5-HMF for use to fight sickle cell
disease.

A recent grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part
of the National Institutes of Health, awarded to Xechem International
Inc., will allow researchers to carry out toxicity studies on 5-HMF.
The research team will include researchers from VCU and Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Philadelphia.

Working with Abraham to develop the anti-sickling agent were: Martin K.
Safo, Ph.D., Richmond Danso-Danquah, Ph.D., and Gajanan S. Joshi,
Ph.D., all researchers in the VCU Department of Medicinal Chemistry.


About VCU and the VCU Medical Center: Virginia Commonwealth University
is the largest university in Virginia and ranks among the top 100
universities in the country in sponsored research. Located on two
downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 30,000 students in
nearly 200 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and
humanities. Sixty-three of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of
them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 15 schools and one college.
MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth
University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s
leading academic medical centers. For more, see http://www.vcu.edu.

About Xechem: Xechem International is a development stage
biopharmaceutical company working on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD),
antimalarials, and antiviral (including AIDS), anticancer, antifungal
and antibacterial products from natural sources, including microbial
and marine organisms. Its focus is on the development of
phyto-pharmaceuticals (Natural Herbal Drugs) and other proprietary
technologies, including those used in the treatment of orphan diseases.
Xechem’s mission is to bring relief to the millions of people who
suffer from these diseases. Its recent focus and resources have been
directed primarily toward the development and launch of NICOSANâ„¢
(named HEMOXINâ„¢ in the US and Europe) for the prophylactic management
of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). With the recent Nigerian regulatory
approval of NICOSANâ„¢, Xechem is now scaling-up the commercialization
of the drug in Nigeria and making preparations for the pursuit of US
FDA and European regulatory approval.

Video available by contacting the source.


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© 2006 Newswise. All Rights Reserved.
<<snip>>
Conclusion: This study shows that short-term supplementation with
alpha-tocopherol may be beneficial to the paediatric sickle cell sufferer.
<<snip>>


Niger Postgrad Med J. 2005 Jun;12(2):110-4. Related Articles, Links


Changes in Erythrocytes following Supplementation with alpha-Tocopherol

in Children Suffering from Sickle Cell Anaemia.


Jaja SI, Aigbe PE, Gbenebitse S, Temiye EO.


Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos,
P.M.B. 12003, Lagos. Nigeria.


Introduction: Low plasma vitamin E level in children with sickle cell
anaemia has been related to elevated level of irreversibly sickled
cells which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of painful crisis.
In adult patients supplementation with alpha-tocopherol has been shown
to reduce irreversibly sickled cell count. In-addition, vitamin E
supplementation increases resting forearm blood flow and reduces
forearm vascular resistance in adult sickle cell anaemia sufferers.
Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of supplementation

with alpha-tocopherol on arterial blood pressure, some haematological
parameters and osmotic fragility in children suffering from sickle cell

anaemia. Methodology: The effects of supplementation with
alpha-tocopherol (100 mg. per day for 6 weeks) on packed cell volume
(PCV) haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), mean corpuscular haemoglobin
concentration (MCHC), per cent foetal haemoglobin (% HbF), per cent
irreversibly sickled cells (% ISC), erythrocyte osmotic fragility and
blood pressure have been assessed in ten (10) children suffering from
sickle cell anaemia. Their ages ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 years. Results:

Supplementation with alpha-tocopherol significantly increased packed
cell volume (p< 0.001), haemoglobin concentration (p< 0.01) and per
cent foetal haemoglobin (p< 0.001), but significantly reduced mean
corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (p< 0.01) and per cent
irreversibly sickled cells (p< 0.001). alpha-Tocopherol also increased
the resistance of the cells to lysis. Supplementation with
alpha-tocopherol had little or no effect on arterial blood pressure
Conclusion: This study shows that short-term supplementation with
alpha-tocopherol may be beneficial to the paediatric sickle cell
sufferer. . Keywords: sickle cell anaemia, erythrocytes,
alpha-tocopherol..


PMID: 15997260 [PubMed - in process]


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"<<snip>>
anti-sickling agent binds to hemoglobin to increase the oxygen affinity
of both normal and sickle hemoglobin
<<snip>>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
Isn't that what vitamin E .. does .. ? Which may explain the .. luck ..
they are having with vitamin E ..?"

No, another example of not understanding what the information is saying.