Defeating Sickle Cell Disease with Stem Cells + Gene Therapy

Using a mix of science, humor and easy to understand language, this video describes sickle cell disease and a CIRM-funded clinical trial at UCLA that is testing a stem cell and gene therapy cure. This awful genetic disorder causes red blood cells to assume a sickle shape, clogging blood vessels and producing episodes of excruciating pain, called crises, and leading to progressive organ damage. If all goes well, the human suffering due to sickle cell disease may soon be a thing of the past. This trial is one of the first to be part of CIRM’s Alpha Stem Cell Clinic Network.

 
For more details about CIRM-funding of sickle cell disease research visit these pages:

• CIRM’s sickle cell disease fact sheet
• One-Time, Lasting Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease May be on Horizon 
• A personal perspective of sickle cell disease in our Stories of Hope series