Gene Therapy Used To Treat Hemophilia B

Reference- www.myfoxphoenix.com

Summary- Researchers made a huge advance in the effort to use gene therapy to treat the bleeding disorder hemophilia B, they say that six patients in a study started to make more of a crucial blood-clotting factor that prevents severe bleeding episodes. After a single gene-therapy treatment, four of the men started making enough of their own clotting factor that they no longer needed the regular protein injections that are being used to prevent bleeding episodes. Hemoplilia B is caused by a defect in the gene that makes a protein called Factor IX, which is crucial for normal blood clotting. About 1 in 30,000 individuals, usually men, inherit the mutation. Without enough clotting factor, patients can have frequent, painful bleeding episodes.

Critique- This is a major advance in the medicine world. This is good for the people that have that disease. Maybe this will finally be the way to treat Hemophilia B, and stop all the painful bleeding episodes.

Impact- This impacts people with Hemophilia B in a positive way. This also impacts the medicine world, because now they may have a treatment that could cure or atleast help people with the disease.