September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine hematology researcher has received new grant funding to study one of the disease's painful, under-recognized complications: bone damage.
What is sickle cell disease?
Bone complications in sickle cell disease patients
"Those with sickle cell disease tend to develop early-onset osteoporosis, which weakens bones and makes them brittle. They also develop compression fractures and avascular necrosis, which is the death of bone tissue caused by a temporary or permanent loss of blood supply," said Gollamudi. "We also know red blood cell disorders, particularly sickle cell disease, involve significant inflammation. Our research will investigate how this inflammation can lead to bone complications and whether inflammatory markers can help predict who is at higher risk, potentially enabling earlier intervention."
She will also explore how bone complications, and particularly bone cells, cause bone pain in patients with sickle cell disease.
"Individuals with sickle cell disease experience chronic musculoskeletal pain, which markedly diminishes their quality of life," said Gollamudi. "The goal of this project is to identify if bone cells are drivers for musculoskeletal pain."
Currently, there are no targeted pain therapies, and opioid treatments have limited efficacy, Gollamudi said. Building on her findings about the role of inflammation in bone complications, her research will examine whether treatments already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can be leveraged to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain.
"We think there are FDA-approved medications already on the market that could be used to treat bone complications and bone pain in patients with sickle cell disease," said Gollamudi.
Jahnavi Gollamudi, MD, reviews bone images on a computer screen in the Hyacinth Lab. Photo/Connor Boyle/UC Marketing + Brand.
Mentorship
Gollamudi currently conducts her research in the lab of her mentor, Hyacinth Hyacinth, MD, PhD, a professor in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine. The Hyacinth lab focuses on sickle cell disease, including its impact on stroke risk, and researchers there investigate a range of sickle cell disease complications.
Another UC mentor, Michael Jankowski, PhD, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and a member of Cincinnati Children's Division of Anesthesiology and its Pain Management Center, contributes expertise that's directly relevant to Gollamudi's investigation into chronic musculoskeletal pain in people with sickle cell disease.
Outside UC, Gollamudi has two additional mentors: Jane Little, MD, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of its comprehensive sickle cell disease program; and Lalitha Nayak, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, specializing in the care of patients with complex bleeding and clotting disorders at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Hematology Clinic.
"These are powerful women physician-scientists who have inspired me," said Gollamudi. "Their work in sickle cell disease and hematology has shaped how I approach both patient care and research, and I am grateful for their guidance."
Featured image at top: Jahnavi Gollamudi, MD, inside the CARE/Crawley building on the medical campus. Photo/Connor Boyle/UC Marketing + Brand.
Frequently asked questions about UC's sickle cell bone disease research:
What is the focus of Gollamudi's sickle cell research? right arrow down arrow
She is studying why people with sickle cell disease develop bone complications and whether inflammation markers can help predict who is at higher risk for bone disease.
What funding did she receive? right arrow down arrow
Gollamudi received a $150,000 2026 Scholar Award from the American Society of Hematology, as well as support from an NIH K12 grant, to advance her early-career research in hematology.
Why does this research matter for people with sickle cell disease? right arrow down arrow
Bone complications can be painful, disabling and difficult to treat. Understanding how inflammation contributes to bone damage could enable earlier detection, better monitoring and more targeted treatments for people living with sickle cell disease.
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