Components of the Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease

The Boston Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center (BCSCC)
The BCSCC is an NIH-supported project directed by Martin Steinberg, M.D. with Carlo Brugnara, M.D. as the Scientific Director and Lillian McMahon, M.D. as the Clinical Director. Current BCSCC clinical trials include:

• Arginine as treatment for sickle cell anemia
• Hydroxyurea and magnesium in HbSC disease
• Sickle cell patient database and biological sample repository
• Priapism in sickle cell disase
• Neurocognitive studies in adult sickle cell disease
• Dexamethasone in acute chest syndrome

The Patkin Sickle Cell Day Hospital (Clinical)
The Day Hospital is a special treatment 3-bed unit located in our newly opened Solomont Cancer Center. This unit is a state-of-the art facility where patients with uncomplicated painful episodes are treated by a specially trained nurse-practitioner whose sole responsibility is the care of sickle cell disease patients.

Sickle cell inpatient services (Clinical)
Inpatient services are available for adults and children. Primary responsibility for care rotates among attending physicians who are all Center investigators with a special interest in sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell outpatient clinics (Clinical)
Outpatient clinics are devoted to the management of adults and children with sickle cell disease and related disorders.

The Hemoglobin Diagnostic Reference Laboratory (Diagnostics)
This laboratory, directed by Dr. David Chui, provides genetic testing for hemoglobinopathies, including antenatal diagnosis, throughout the US and many foreign countries.

The Sickle Cell Clinical Research Network
The Sickle Cell Clinical Research Network is an NHLBI-supported network for phase III clinical trials.

NIH-supported research projects (Research)
NIH-supported research projects at the Center focus on the genetic modulation of sickle cell disease, fetal hemoglobin (HbF) regulation in β thalassemia, the biology and treatment of sickle cell pulmonary hypertension, and the development of new agents that modulate HbF expression in sickle cell disease and thalassemia.