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Coventry teenager with thalassemia says gene editing treatment changed her life
Überblick
A 16-year-old teenager from Coventry named Vian has successfully undergone pioneering gene editing treatment to reverse symptoms of thalassemia, a serious blood disorder. Previously requiring monthly blood transfusions and suffering from constant fatigue, Vian's edited stem cells were returned to her last December following chemotherapy. She no longer needs transfusions, has regained her energy, and now studies health and social care with ambitions of becoming a nurse. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy named JoelSamuel from Oldbury is at the beginning of a similar gene editing journey for sickle cell disease.
Wichtige Punkte
- Vian, 16, was born with thalassemia, a condition affecting haemoglobin and red blood cells that caused severe fatigue and required monthly blood transfusions.
- Her own stem cells were extracted, edited in a laboratory to produce more foetal haemoglobin, and returned to her following chemotherapy.
- The treatment has allowed Vian to become transfusion-free, regain her energy, and start studying health and social care at college with aspirations of becoming a nurse.
- Consultant haematologist Dr Sarah Lawson describes the procedure as a "functional cure" rather than a complete removal of the underlying disease.
- A 14-year-old boy named JoelSamuel, who suffers from sickle cell disease and experiences excruciating pain and fatigue, is currently beginning the same treatment process at Birmingham Children's Hospital.