For decades, treatment options for sickle cell disease have been extremely limited. Soon, gene therapies and a host of pharmaceuticals could alleviate the immense burden of this disease.
Alpha thalassemia was once a fatal diagnosis. Now, a clinical trial tests if administering a mother’s stem cells in utero may cure kids before they’re born.
Facing donor shortages and storage limitations, researchers are developing synthetic red blood cells, platelets, and plasma and combining them into artificial blood.
When a research question can’t be answered using the tools available, bioengineer Kiana Aran makes new tools. Recently, she developed a new type of brain-on-a-chip to answer questions about the blood brain barrier.