Thalassaemia meaning

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that affects your body’s ability to produce hemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. Types include alpha and beta thalassemia. Thalassemia may cause you to experience anemia-like symptoms that range from mild to severe. Treatment can consist of blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy. Overview What is thalassemia? Thalassemia (thal-uh-SEE-me-uh) is an inherited If you have thalassemia, your body produces fewer healthy hemoglobin proteins, and your How does thalassemia affect my body? Thalassemia can cause mild or severe • • Trouble breathing. • Feeling cold. • • Pale skin. Who is at risk for thalassemia? The Symptoms and Causes What causes thalassemia? Hemoglobin consists of four protein chains, two alpha globin chains and two beta globin chains. Each chain — both alpha and beta — contains genetic information, or genes, passed down from your parents. Think of these • Alpha globin protein chains consist of four genes, two from each parent. • Beta globin protein chains consist of two genes, one from each parent. The thalassemia you have depends on whether your alpha or beta chain contains the genetic defect. The extent of the defect will determine how severe your condition is. What are the types of thalassemia? Thalassemia is classified as trait, minor, intermedia and major to describe how severe the condition is. These labels represent a range where having a thalassemia trait means that you may experience mild anemia symptoms ...

Recent Examples on the Web Though, as of the 29th of March, several beta thalassemia patients have entered the apheresis process (extraction of cells for modification via gene therapy). — Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 3 May 2023 His previous firm, Imara, recently merged with Enliven Therapeutics, of Boulder, Colo., after Imara’s leading drug candidate yielded negative results in studies for treatment of two rare blood disorders, sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Mar. 2023 Those with beta thalassemia don’t have enough normal hemoglobin, and suffer anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath and other symptoms. — NBC News, 7 Dec. 2020 Panteha Abareshi, an artist whose work is rooted in their experience with sickle cell zero beta thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder that causes increasing, debilitating pain and bodily deterioration, is perhaps better equipped than most to guide this discussion. — Caroline Ellen Liou, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023 Read full article Founded in 2007 by researchers from the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Forma has developed a daily oral drug to treat sickle cell disease and another rare blood disorder called thalassemia. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 The first team to achieve a genetic rewrite of sickle cell and of thalassemia, a related blood disorder, will hit the jackpot. — Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2016 Vertex’s pipeline also includes promising therapies targeting r...

Thalassemia describes a group of inherited disorders characterized by reduced or absent amounts of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein inside the red blood cells. There are two basic groups of thalassemia disorders: alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. These conditions cause varying degrees of anemia, which can range from insignificant to life threatening. Description All types of thalassemias are considered quantitative diseases of hemoglobin, because the quantity of hemoglobin produced is reduced or absent. Usual adult hemoglobin is made up of three components: alpha globin, beta globin, and heme. Thalassemias are classified according to the globin that is affected, hence the names alpha and beta thalassemia. Although both classes of thalassemia affect the same protein, the alpha and beta thalassemias are distinct diseases that affect the body in different ways. Beta thalassemia Beta thalassemia may be the most best-known type of thalassemia and is also called Cooley's anemia. It is caused by a change in the gene for the beta globin component of hemoglobin. Beta thalassemia causes variable anemia that can range from moderate to severe, depending in part on the exact genetic change underlying the disease. Beta thalassemia can be classified based on clinical symptoms. Beta thalassemia major usually causes severe anemia that can occur within months after birth. If left untreated, severe anemia can result in insufficient growth and development, as well as other common...

Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that limits your body’s ability to make beta-globin. Beta-globin is an important protein needed to make hemoglobin and red blood cells. Beta thalassemia can cause you to experience anemia symptoms. Types include beta thalassemia major, beta thalassemia intermedia and beta thalassemia minor. Overview What is beta thalassemia? Beta thalassemia (pronounced “thal-uh-SEE-me-uh”) is a Beta thalassemia is one of two main types of How does beta thalassemia affect my body? Low production of beta-globin results in damage to your red blood cells, leading to their removal from blood circulation. If your body can’t make enough new red cells to replace the ones that are lost, anemia develops. Symptoms of anemia occur when there aren’t enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to your body’s tissues causing them to become deprived of oxygen. Anemia symptoms associated with beta thalassemia can range from mild to severe, depending on how low your red blood cell count is. Who is at risk for beta thalassemia? Beta thalassemia is an inherited How common is beta thalassemia? Thalassemia is the most common inherited cause of anemia. Thousands of new beta thalassemia cases are diagnosed each year. Cases have declined as prevention measures, like screenings to identify people who carry thalassemia gene mutations, have increased. Symptoms and Causes What causes beta thalassemia? Beta thalassemia results from a mutation (error) that limits beta-globin p...