Date of Award
Spring 5-2000
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Honors College Theses
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. J.B. Whitney
Second Advisor
Dr. Byron A. Lewis
Third Advisor
Dr. Joyce O'Rourke
Abstract
Sickle cell disease is a worldwide health problem in countries ranging from its origin, Africa, to the United States of America. The understanding of sickle cell disease dates to Zimbabwe in the 1940's. Sickle cell trait is the term used to describe healthy unaffected carriers (heterozygous) of the genetic condition known as Sickle Cell Disease. It is estimated that there are about 100,000 genes in the human body and each of them codes for a different trait. About 5,000 of these genes are known to carry mutations serious enough to cause genetic diseases. This research deal with sickle cell mice models. These mice have many different traits and genes that are under research in order to manipulate their genes to create a model useful for testing treatments for sickle cell disease. The primary goal of this lab research is to perform bone marrow transplants to determine whether or not marrow cells from the models under development are histocompatible with standard recipients. The ultimate goal of this lab research as well as other researchers is ti be able to complete gene therapy successfully in mouse models using approaches directly applicable with humans.
Recommended Citation
Mellion, Francesca M., "Sickle cell disease: animal models and gene therapy" (2000). Electronic Dissertations and Theses. 71.
https://digitalcommons.subr.edu/dissertations_theses/71