So first of all, what’s sickle cell anemia? It’s a form of anemia that’s inherited, where your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This makes it difficult for oxygen to be carried through the body. Sickle cell anemia causes anemia (as you might’ve guessed), pain, swelling, infections, problems with vision, and delayed growth.

However, researchers might have found a cure. Gene therapy. Now, if you don’t know what gene therapy is, it’s essentially the use of genes to teat diseases by inserting them into your cells, as an alternative to methods like surgery. The National Institutes of Health held a year-long trial on a woman with sickle cell anemia. After undergoing the gene therapy, the woman is showing no symptoms/signs of sickle cell anemia. The main concern now is adjusting the treatment so that it becomes more widely available.

Top photo: Flickr. Bottom photo: Google. Featured photo: Flickr.

Information: CBS, and Local 21 News (Harrisburg).