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Blood Disorders Research

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is leading the way in blood disorders research. Learn what’s new in blood disorder research.

Researching Blood Disorders Developing Novel Therapies at Winship

Advanced treatment methods and therapies for acquired and inherited blood disorders have improved in the last few decades thanks to research being done at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Georgia’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and other medical institutions across the country.

By partnering with other area blood disorder programs and centers in the U.S., Winship is helping to collaborate in lifesaving blood disorder research. Our goal is to investigate novel ways to treat these diseases so that patients can live normal lives.

Advances in Blood Disorder Research

Several key advancements have been made in recent years for acquired and inherited blood disorders, mostly in the form of newer treatment options.

  • Gene therapy. New developments in gene therapy are showing positive results in patients with sickle cell disease and such inherited bleeding disorders as hemophilia.
  • Clotting factor concentrates. Historically, bleeding disorders like hemophilia and von Willebrand’s disease were treated with blood infusions and human-derived plasma. Today, clotting factor concentrates help stop a bleed without putting a person at risk for infectious diseases. These clotting factors can be made in a lab or derived from human donors. Clotting factor concentrates can be administered before a bleeding event occurs as a form of prevention. This helps to reduce spontaneous bleeds, improve quality of life and increase life expectancy.
  • Personalized dosage. There are more than 1,000 blood disorders that can present differently in each patient. Researchers are studying how the personalized dosage of certain medicines, such as blood thinners based on a patient’s unique genetic and clinical profile, can improve their overall treatment trajectory and quality of life.
  • Enzymes for clotting disorders. Your blood contains enzymes called thiol isomerases, which play a vital role in clotting. Researchers are conducting studies to target these enzymes to stop blood clots from forming in patients with such disorders as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and inherited clotting disorders.
  • Immunotherapy and gene therapy. Immunotherapy and gene therapy are being explored for blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Blood Disorders Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are controlled studies that test new interventions on a disease, such as blood disorders. They offer participants early access to novel treatments that are not yet commercially available.

Clinical Trials at Winship

Your best option may include participation in a clinical trial if treatments like the ones above are not working. Clinical trials provide patients access to new drugs and therapies that are being developed to treat blood disorders and blood cancers.

Talk with your hematologist and oncologist about whether you are eligible to participate in any of these clinical trials.