Thalassemia

What is it?

• Thalassemia is an inherited
blood disorder that causes the
blood cells not to produce a
certain vitamin. This can lead
to anemia, which causes
sleepiness, weakness and
tireness, aswell as fatigue.
Severe anemia can damage
organs and eventually cause
death. Mild anemia does not
have such serious
consecuences.
When was it discovered?
• It was first described in 1925 by Dr. Thomas Cooley, who called it Cooley’s
disease. Afterwards, scientists at the University of Rochester gave it the name
Thalassemia, wich literally means, sea in the blood.
Other information:
• Traits for thalassemia are more common in people from Mediterranean countries, like
Greece and Turkey, and in people from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
• People with thalassemia can get too much iron in their bodies, either from the disease or
from frequent blood transfusions.
• The only way to try to prevent it is to retrieve mature eggs and fertilize them with sperm in
a dish in a laboratory. The embryos are tested for the defective genes, and only those
without genetic defects are implanted into the uterus.
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watching!