DISCLAIMER
The information and materials accessed through or made available for use on any of our Sites, including, any information about diseases, conditions, treatments, or medicines, are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and your participation on our Sites does not create a healthcare professional-patient relationship. You should consult a doctor or other qualified health care professional regarding any questions you have about your health or before making any decisions related to your health or wellness. Call your doctor or 911 immediately if you think you may have a medical emergency.compose your message
message sent
email sent successfully
Trusted Resources: News & Events
Latest announcements and gatherings
At 16, She’s a Pioneer in the Fight to Cure Sickle Cell Disease
Helen Obando, a shy slip of a girl, lay curled in a hospital bed in June waiting for a bag of stem cells from her bone marrow, modified by gene therapy, to start dripping into her chest.
The hope was that the treatment would cure her of sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that can cause excruciating pain, organ damage and early death.
Sedated with Benadryl to prevent an allergic reaction to the garlicky-smelling preservative in the drip, Helen, who at 16 was the youngest person ever to undergo the therapy, was sound asleep for the big moment.
“Wake up,” her younger brother, Ryan, said, shaking her leg so she could push the button to start the drip. But she could not be roused, so he pushed it himself.
Related Content
-
news & eventsGene-Edited ‘Supercells’ Make Progress In Fight Against Sickle Cell DiseaseDoctors are reporting the first evidence...
-
news & eventsCould Gene Therapy Cure Sickle Cell Anemia?Nearly 20 years ago, scientists stunned ...
-
news & eventsCIRM and NHLBI Collaborating to Fund Cell and Gene Therapies for Sickle Cell DiseaseThe California Institute for Regenerativ...
-
news & eventsStatement from FDA Commissioner on agency’s efforts to advance development of gene therapiesOnce just a theory, gene therapies are...
-
news & eventsFDA Clears Graphite Bio to Begin Trial for Gene Therapy in Sickle Cell DiseaseIn response to Graphite Bio’s investig...
-
Community CenterSuccessful Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell DiseasePrior to this report, the only curative ...
-
videos & visualsGene Therapy: Your Questions Answeredhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ChXI6cS...
send a message
To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
Support for this site is provided by
This platform is made possible through a partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) and its member organizations. SCDAA's mission is to advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empower community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure.