Sickle Cell Anemia
A hereditary blood disorder
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) & Sickle Cell Anemia)
An abnormality in the hemoglobin in red blood cells which causes them to become rigid and sickle shaped.
Symptoms associated with Sickle Cell Anemia
Severe infections, attacks of pain (crises), stroke, and increased risk of death
The facts
Sickle Cell Anemia is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition. It is caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin-Beta gene found on chromosome 11.
Treatment & Prevention
While Sickle Cell Anemia has no definite cure, it can be prevented & treated by vaccination, preventative antibiotics, blood transfusion, the drug hydroxyurea, and a transplant of bone marrow cells.
Research
Gene therapy is being performed on mice to help us better understand this condition. Scientists hope to start gene therapy on humans soon.
Inheritance
Sickle Cell Anemia is more common in Sub- Saharan Africa, the West Indies, South Asia, and Africa.
-If one parent has Anemia and the other parent has the trait then their child has a 50% chance to inherit the disease and a 50% chance to inherit the trait.
-If both parents have the trait then their child has a 25% for disease, a 25% chance to not carry any alleles, and a 50% chance to carry the heterogeneous condition.
Living with Sickle Cell- Ryan Clark
-Previously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
-Currently Free safety for Washington Redskins-Cannot play in cities with high altitude due to sickle cell trait
-Suffered a splenic infection due to his sickle cell trait in 2007
Sickle Cell Awareness Day