Islamabad, Aug 31: RIYADH: King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KAMC-RD) has effectively corrected a teenage patient’s thalassemia by using CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) gene editing technology.
The King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh (KAMC-RD), which is under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), has successfully treated a 13-year-old patient with thalassemia major. This is the first instance of advanced gene therapy being used outside of clinical trials and research settings.
After a successful gene cell transplant, the young patient who had required blood transfusions every three weeks since birth is now entirely recovered. This innovative approach represents a significant advancement in the treatment of genetic problems in addition to reducing the patient’s need on frequent transfusions.
This treatment’s effectiveness signals a new era in gene therapy and shows how CRISPR technology can be used to treat hereditary illnesses in a way that is long-lasting.
Due to a hereditary mutation that causes thalassemia major, a severe blood condition, lifelong blood transfusions have historically been necessary, along with considerable health concerns. The effective use of Casgevy gene therapy has changed patients’ and their families’ lives by providing hope for a long-term fix.
Building on this achievement, Saudi Arabia is getting ready to treat more patients with sickle cell anemia and thalassemia with these cutting-edge gene therapies. The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs pledged to use this discovery to position the country as a leader in gene therapy worldwide. Saudi Arabia hopes to enhance the lives of many people who are impacted by genetic illnesses by increasing access to these state-of-the-art medicines.
This accomplishment places Saudi Arabia at the forefront of global healthcare innovation and demonstrates the nation’s dedication to furthering medical knowledge. The effective application of CRISPR gene editing technology outside of research trials in a clinical context establishes a standard that other countries and healthcare facilities can adopt.
