462
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2026
462 points (99.8% liked)
Uplifting News
19217 readers
95 users here now
Welcome to /c/UpliftingNews (rules), a dedicated space where optimism and positivity converge to bring you the most heartening and inspiring stories from around the world. We strive to curate and share content that lights up your day, invigorates your spirit, and inspires you to spread positivity in your own way. This is a sanctuary for those seeking a break from the incessant negativity and rage (e.g. schadenfreude) often found in today's news cycle. From acts of everyday kindness to large-scale philanthropic efforts, from individual achievements to community triumphs, we bring you news—in text form or otherwise—that gives hope, fosters empathy, and strengthens the belief in humanity's capacity for good, from a quality outlet that does not publish bad copies of copies of copies.
Here in /c/UpliftingNews, we uphold the values of respect, empathy, and inclusivity, fostering a supportive and vibrant community. We encourage you to share your positive news, comment, engage in uplifting conversations, and find solace in the goodness that exists around us. We are more than a news-sharing platform; we are a community built on the power of positivity and the collective desire for a more hopeful world. Remember, your small acts of kindness can be someone else's big ray of hope. Be part of the positivity revolution; share, uplift, inspire!
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
As cool as this truly is, what's also wild is now this person doesn't have the drastically higher chances of surviving Malaria! Sickle Cell requires both parents passing on a recessive gene that helps with Malaria. When one parent passes on the gene it doesn't lead to sickle cell yet it provides the benefits against malaria 🤯
His chances of catching malaria in New Orleans are pretty slim, so I think that's a fair trade-off. :)
Between climate change and the current US administration, malaria is starting to reappear over there (but I'm sure he'd rather risk it than stick with Sickle Cell+no piloting).
Do they not?
They can't have edited all of the patient's cells, just enough of them to produce enough normal non-sickle blood cells to cure the disease. Would the remaining cells which still prosess the sickle-cell gene provide any protection against Malaria?
Thanks for the reply, it made me dig a bit deeper into this treatment (Casgevy) methodology and I learned some radical things about it! But the term gene editing in molecular/microbiology always refers to DNA, so these changes will be present in all future cells. Knowing the treatment used gene editing, I incorrectly assumed they just cut out the genetic sequence causing sickle cell. However, they edited the patients stem cells and reinfused them to create a permanent population of red blood cells with both the original sickle cell and fetal red blood cell traits! This works since fetal red blood cells don’t sickle due to their cell structure, meaning the sickle cell mutation remains in the patient's DNA, so the edited cells still produce the trait to help with malaria.