Facebook Live: Stem Cells and Sickle Cell Disease

More than 80,000 Americans have sickle cell disease and despite decades of research the average life expectancy has dropped from 42 years in 1995 to 39 today. It is a disease that largely targets the African-American community and, to a lesser degree, the Hispanic community. 

In recognition of September 2018 as National Sickle Awareness Month, CIRM hosted a Facebook Live event, “Ask the Stem Cell Team about Sickle Cell Disease“, which discussed the latest progress in the development of stem cell-based therapies for the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. 

The hour-long discussion featured Mark Walters, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist from UCSF’s Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; Don Kohn, Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at UCLA; Adrienne Shapiro, a patient advocate for SCD and the co-founder of the Axis Advocacy SCD patient education and support website; and Adonica Shaw, CIRM’s Associate Director of Marketing Communications.