Clinical Trials

Do you have sickle cell disease or thalassemia, or are you a healthy volunteer who is willing to undergo a brain MRI? This study aims to understand whether sickle cell disease or thalassemia affects the processes that naturally increase blood flow in the brain when people experience stress. Researchers will measure blood flow using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants in this study must be at least 7 years old and have sickle cell disease or thalassemia. Healthy volunteers can also participate. This study is located in Los Angeles, California.

Do you or your child need another blood stem cell transplant for sickle cell disease? This study will give a second transplant to people who have sickle cell disease and whose disease has returned but still have some donor cells in their body. Participants in this study must be at least 4 years old and had a transplant but the disease returned, and their donor relatives. This study is located in Bethesda, Maryland.

Do you or your child have sickle cell disease and a relative willing to donate stem cells? This study is giving a second blood stem cell transplant to people with sickle cell disease who have had their disease return after one stem cell transplant. To participate in this study, you must be 4 years old or older, have sickle cell disease, and have had your disease return after receiving a blood stem cell transplant. You must also have a relative who is older than 2 years and can donate stem cells via a blood draw. This study takes place in Bethesda, Maryland.

Do you or your child have sickle cell disease and access to a smart phone? This study tests whether a mobile app can help adolescents and young adults who have sickle cell disease take medicine, such as hydroxyurea, correctly and on time. To participate in this study, you or your child must be between 12 and 21 years old, have sickle cell disease, and be currently taking hydroxyurea. This study takes place in Chicago, Illinois.

Do you or your child have sickle cell disease and receive blood transfusion treatment? This study aims to determine how long red blood cells survive in people with sickle cell disease. Some people receive blood transfusions from donor blood as a treatment for sickle cell disease. But sometimes, donor blood cells do not survive long once transfused, which can make long-term blood transfusions less effective as a treatment option. Participants in this study must be 6 years old or older and have already been receiving blood transfusion treatment for more than 3 months. This study takes place in Atlanta, Georgia.

Are you an adult who receives long-term red blood cell transfusion therapy for sickle cell disease? This 3-month study tests whether donated blood that is more than 30 days old leads to more infections in people with sickle cell disease than blood that is less than 10 days old. Some hospitals around the United States have requirements regarding the age of donor blood. This research aims to inform new evidence-based policies on the age and use of donor blood in people with sickle cell disease that rely on blood transfusions. To participate in this study, you must be between 16 and 45 years old, have sickle cell disease, and be receiving long-term red blood cell transfusion therapy. This study takes place in Atlanta, Georgia; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Do you have sickle cell disease and need chronic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions? This study aims to determine the effectiveness of matching donor red cells by RH genotype for people who need frequent RBC transfusions. Participants in this study must be 1 year or older. This study is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Do you or your child have sickle cell disease? This study aims to develop a mathematical equation to estimate the functioning of the kidneys in children and adults with sickle cell disease. To participate in this study, you or your child must be between 5 and 50 years old. This study takes place in Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago, Illinois; and Memphis, Tennessee.

Are you or your child between the ages of 3 and 21 and experiencing pain episodes? This study tests a treatment called arginine therapy for pain episodes in children with sickle cell disease. Researchers are investigating how safe and effective this treatment is, as well as how arginine is metabolized in the body and its effects on cells. To participate in this study, you or your child must have sickle cell disease and pain that requires medical attention. This study takes place in multiple locations in the United States.