Conference on thalassemia organized in the city

outlookindia.com

1970-01-01T05: 30: 00 + 0530

New Delhi, 24 November About 200 doctors and scientists attended a conference in the city to discuss ways to improve the quality of life of existing patients and prevent the birth of children with thalassemia major.

The two-day conference, which began on Saturday, was organized by the National Thalassemia Welfare Society (NTWS) in association with the pediatric department of the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC).

With more than five indians on the crore with the thalassemia gene and about 10,000 to 12,000 new major thalassemics born each year, this serious blood disorder is still unknown, said Dr. JS Arora, secretary general of NTWS.

He mentioned the new drug being prepared, "Luspatercept", which will improve the level of hemoglobin in thalassemia patients, pointing out that it would significantly reduce the need for chelating agents in blood and iron. , thus improving the quality of life of the patient.

Dr. Sandeep Soni, hemato-oncologist, who is conducting research on gene therapy in thalassemia at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, California, said: "Gene therapy is designed to introduce genetic material in cells to compensate for abnormal genes or produce beneficial effects A gene that is inserted directly into a cell usually does not work A vector, called a vector, is genetically modified to transmit the genes. to not cause disease. "

Vinita Srivastava, senior national consultant and coordinator, blood cell, national health mission of the Ministry of Health, reported on the measures taken by the Ministry for the management and prevention of thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

"Prevention is healing", which is an ideal idiom for thalassemia, was at the center of the conference and highlighted important issues such as the management of thalassemia, blood transfusion, latest advances in gene therapy, national thalassemia policy, the benefits of disability for thalassemia. PLB

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