Differential Efficacy Of Anti-Sickling And Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms In A Fluorescent Intravital Microscopy Dorsal Skinfold Vaso-Occlusion Model In Sickle Cell Disease Townes Mice

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by acute and repetitive vaso-occlusive crises (VOC). These crises have been hypothesized to occur when blood flow is reduced following obstruction of sickle-shaped red blood cells in the vasculature. However, it is now well established that inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial activation and pro-coagulation in sickle cell disease patients also contribute to the formation of heterocellular aggregates that can lead to VOC (Vercellotti and Belcher, 2014).