title: Biomechanics and biorheology of red blood cells in sickle cell anemia.
abstract: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited blood disorder that causes painful crises due to vaso-occlusion of small blood vessels. The primary cause of the clinical phenotype of SCA is the intracellular polymerization of sickle hemoglobin resulting in sickling of red blood cells (RBCs) in deoxygenated conditions. In this review, we discuss the biomechanical and biorheological characteristics of sickle RBCs and sickle blood as well as their implications toward a better understanding of the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of SCA. Additionally, we highlight the adhesive heterogeneity of RBCs in SCA and their specific contribution to vaso-occlusive crisis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. Electronic address: Xuejin_Li@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Xuejin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lykotrafitis
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. Electronic address: George_Karniadakis@brown.edu.
authors.forename: George Em
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Karniadakis
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000502:physiology; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins
keywords: Adhesion; Biomechanics; Biorheology; Erythrocyte; Sickle cell disease