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Sickle Cell Disease
About Sickle Cell Disease
Carrying one copy of the gene provides some resistance to malaria, which is why it is common in regions where malaria is or was endemic. Affects millions of people, mostly of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian descent. The mutation changes red blood cells to a sickle shape under low oxygen. Bone marrow transplants can cure it, and the first gene therapies were approved in 2023.
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