Neglected and ignored by the medical establishment throughout most of its history, sickle cell disease remains one of the most common (and commonly misunderstood) genetic conditions in the world. In this episode, we break down the myriad effects that one nucleotide substitution can have on the human body and discuss the basics of what it means when blood cells sickle. Continuing with the theme of the seen and unseen, we then turn to the history of sickle cell disease, a history of long-standing injustice and the unending fight to raise awareness and provide support for those impacted by the condition. And as always, we wrap up with a discussion on the current global status of sickle cell disease and some exciting new treatment options on the horizon.
We are so honored and thrilled to be joined this episode by not one, not two, but three incredible guests! You’ll hear first from Marsha Howe and Sharif Tusuubira, who share with us some of their firsthand experiences living with sickle cell disease. And then in our current status section, Dr. Megan Hochstrasser from the Innovative Genomics Institute walks us through the mind-blowing genome editing approaches being used to treat genetic conditions such as sickle cell disease.
You can follow Marsha on her website for her non-profit organization and blog “My Life With Sickle Cell” as well as through her social media channels: Twitter: @MarshaMLWSC, Instagram: @marsha_h181, Facebook: Marsha Howe. And make sure to check out B Positive Choir too! Twitter: @bpositivechoir and Instagram: @bpositivechoir.
Learn more about Sharif Tusuubira’s amazing advocacy efforts on his website and through his social media channels: Twitter: @tkksharif, Instagram: @tkksharif, Facebook: Sharif Kiragga Tusuubira. You can also watch his 2017 talk in Washington, DC as a Mandela Washington Fellow.
And to learn more about the futuristic-sounding research being done at the Innovative Genomics Institute (including using CRISPR to develop a faster, cheaper coronavirus test!), you can follow Megan (@thecrispress) and IGI (@igisci) on Twitter, or head to their website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 139 Supplements: “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA”
Ep 138 Fever: Take it to the limit
Special Episode: Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens & Medical Bondage
Ep 137 ME/CFS: What’s in a name? (A lot, actually)
Ep 136 Long Covid: A long time coming
Ep 135 Menopause is whatever you want it to be
Ep 134 Tonsils: Underestimated and underappreciated
Ep 133 Parvoviruses: Who let the dogs (and their viruses) out?
Ep 132 Osteogenesis Imperfecta: All bones about it
Ep 131 Parkinson’s Disease: Dopamine & discoveries
Ep 130 Cocoliztli: We do love a salty dish
Ep 129 Lymphatic Filariasis: Hiding in plain sight
Ep 128 Skin Cancer: We love and fear the sun
Ep 127 Bhopal: The 1984 Union Carbide Disaster
Ep 126 Migraine: A Cacophony in Four Movements
Ep 125 Blastomycosis: How fungus became amongus
Ep 124 The full spectrum of color vision deficiency
Ep 123 Hand, Foot, and Mouth (and Butt?) Disease
Ep 122 Asthma: A phlegmy episode
Special Episode: Ed Yong & An Immense World
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Tenfold More Wicked