Transcriptional regulation of globin genes

镰状细胞性贫血和地中海贫血症是使人衰弱的疾病，目前还没有有效的治疗方法。患者需要终生输血和有显著副作用的药物。这些疾病在胎儿血红蛋白表达到成年期的患者中得到改善。这项研究的目标是了解胎儿血红蛋白在出生时通常是如何关闭的。这最终将帮助我们发现如何重新启动它来治疗患者。

Sickle cell anaemia and ?-thalassaemia are debilitating diseases for which there is no effective treatment. Patients require lifetime blood transfusions and drugs with significant side effects. These diseases are ameliorated in patients that express foetal haemoglobin into adulthood. The goal of this research is to understand how foetal haemoglobin is normally turned off at birth. This will ultimately help us discover how to switch it back on to treat patients.