Sickle Cell Disease in Focus as CRISPR Clinical Trial Launches

KQED's Forum

First uncovered almost a century ago, sickle cell disease is a painful and debilitating red blood cell disorder that can lead to other medical problems like infections and strokes. It hits Black people the hardest, has historically lacked research, and patients have struggled to access basic care. We’ll hear about a promising new UCSF clinical trial using CRISPR gene editing technology on patients’ stem cells. And we talk with a patient about how the disease has affected her life and her community.