Translational Medicine
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-1025
ISSN: 2161-1025
Farid Menaa
Accepted Abstracts: Transl Med
Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an autosomal recessive disorder, with Mendelian inheritance pattern, caused by a missense mutation in the β-polypeptide chain of the hemoglobin B. SCA preferentially affects populations in countries where malaria was/is present (e.g. Africa, USA, Brazil). Thereby, in USA, the incidence of SCA is relatively high, around 1/500, and the prevalence is about 1/1000. In Brazil, SCA represents a major public health problem with an incidence ranging from 1/2000 to 1/600 depending on the regions. Homozygotic patients present more severe medical conditions and reduced life expectancy than heterozygous individuals who generally are asymptomatic. Eventually, this life-threatening disease displays a complex etiology owing to heterogeneous phenotypes and clinical outcomes, subsequently affecting the management of the patients. One of the most critical complications associated with SCA is stroke, a leading neurologic cause of death and disability. About 24% of SCA patients have a stroke by the age of 45 and 11% by the age of 20. From the general population, twin and familial aggregation studies as well as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), mostly in pediatric populations with ischemic stroke, showed that the risk of stroke has a substantial genetic component. Nevertheless, to fully characterize genomic contributors of stroke and permit reliable personalized medicine, multidisciplinary studies incorporating knowledge from clinical medicine, epidemiology, genetics, and molecular biology, are required. In this manuscript, stroke in SCA patients is extensively reviewed with emphasis to the US and Brazilian populations. Recent advances in genomics analysis of stroke in SCA patients are highlighted.
Farid Menaa is a renowned professional with expertise in biology, medicine, chemistry and nanomedicine. He holds several degrees and formations in medicine, sciences and technology. He was the R&D head of Fluorotronics, Inc., CA, USA, a premier company in fluorine chemistry. He co-pioneered the Spectro-Fluor technology, also known as Carbone-Fluorine Spectroscopy, for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Besides, he assumed different academic and industrial functions in various countries and top organizations (e.g. Aventis, Guerbet SA, Sorbonne, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, Cancer Centers, Hospitals, Schools of medicine). He is member of several prestigious scientific and medical societies. He serves the community as editor and reviewer for many esteemed journals, including in chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences. He also organizes scientific events and is an international consulting expert in integrative, personalized and translational green medicine. He has earned several awards for his achievements and holds dozen of articles, often as first author or as project coordinator, in various fields. He cooperates with various organizations worldwide to implement more efficient and safer theranostic options, especially in the fields of oncology, hematology and gerontology.