III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 685 

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of sickle cell disease 

by Dr. James B. Herrick. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2010 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. COCHRAN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of 

sickle cell disease by Dr. James B. Herrick. 

Whereas sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder that affects red blood cells leading to significant morbidity and 

mortality in nearly 80,000 people in the United States; 

Whereas sickle cell disease causes blockage of small blood 

vessels which can lead to tissue damage resulting in severe pain, infection, or stroke; 

Whereas scientific breakthroughs over the past century have 

improved the lives of millions of people suffering from 

sickle cell disease; 

Whereas scientific advances in treatment for sickle cell disease began with Dr. James B. Herrick, an attending physician at Presbyterian Hospital and professor of medicine 


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•SRES 685 ATS 

at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, who discovered sickle cell disease and published the first recorded 

case in Western medical literature in November of 1910 

in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine; 

Whereas the hemoglobin mutation responsible for sickle cell 

disease was discovered by Linus Pauling in 1950; 

Whereas penicillin was proven to be effective as a preventative strategy against pneumococcal infection in 1986, 

sparing patients with sickle cell disease from contracting 

this particularly dangerous infection; 

Whereas in 1995, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reported the first effective drug treatment for adults 

with severe sickle cell disease; 

Whereas the anticancer drug hydroxyurea was found to reduce the frequency of painful crises of sickle cell disease 

and patients taking the drug needed fewer blood transfusions; 

Whereas in 1996, bone marrow transplantation was discovered to improve the course of sickle cell disease for select 

patients; 

Whereas in 1997, blood transfusions were found to help prevent stroke in patients with sickle cell disease; 

Whereas the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine in 2000 

revolutionized the prevention of lethal infections in children and adults with sickle cell disease; 

Whereas the first mouse model demonstrating the usefulness 

of genetic therapy for sickle cell disease was developed in 

2001; 

Whereas in 2007, scientists from the University of Alabama 

at Birmingham and the Massachusetts Institute of TechVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:34 Nov 19, 2010 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR685.ATS SR685

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nology developed an animal model for curing sickle cell 

disease; 

Whereas improvements in treatments have substantially improved quality of life for patients with sickle cell disease 

and led to an increase in overall life expectancy from 14 

years in 1973 to the mid to late 40s in 2010; and 

Whereas the National Institutes of Health sponsored a symposium on November 16 and 17, 2010, to commemorate 

the 100th anniversary of Dr. James Herrick’s initial description of sickle cell disease: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the contributions of the bio3 medical research community to the improvement in 

4 diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell disease; and 

5 (2) commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 

6 discovery of sickle cell disease in November 1910. 

Æ 


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