ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 19 April. Click Here for more information.
ForumIAS Answer Writing Focus Group (AWFG) for Mains 2024 commencing from 24th June 2024. The Entrance Test for the program will be held on 28th April 2024 at 9 AM. To know more about the program visit: https://forumias.com/blog/awfg2024
Source: The post is based on the article “Lyfgenia and Casgevy: U.S FDA approves gene therapies for sickle cell disease” published in “The Hindu” on 9th December 2023
Why in the News?
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pair of gene therapies named Lyfgenia and Casgevy for the treatment of sickle cell disease.
What is Lyfgenia?
Specifications | Details |
What is it | Lyfgenia is a cell-based gene therapy developed for the treatment of sickle cell disease. |
Developed by | Bluebird Bio |
Eligibility | The therapy is approved for people aged 12 years and older. |
Treatment process | 1) The treatment involves removing stem cells out of bone marrow from a patient’s blood. 2) The stem cells are then genetically modified to produce HbAT87Q. It is a gene-therapy-derived haemoglobin that functions similarly to haemoglobin A or the normal adult haemoglobin produced by those who do not have sickle cell disease. 3) The modified stem cells are then delivered to the patient in a one-time, single-dose infusion. |
What is Casgevy?
What is Sickle Cell Disease?
1) It is a genetic red blood cell disorder that affects the shape of the hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen through the body.
2) The RBCs become crescent- or “sickle”-shaped which makes the flow of hemoglobin through the blood vessels difficult, blocking the blood flow to the rest of the body.
UPSC Syllabus: Science and Technology