Worth EH, Fugate MK, Grasty KC, Loll PJ, Bishop MF, Ferrone FA. An α-chain modification rivals the effect of fetal hemoglobin in retarding the rate of sickle cell fiber formation.
Sci Rep 2023;
13:21997. [PMID:
38081985 PMCID:
PMC10713580 DOI:
10.1038/s41598-023-48919-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Adults with sickle cell disease bear a mutation in the β-globin gene, leading to the expression of sickle hemoglobin (HbS; α2βS2). Adults also possess the gene for γ-globin, which is a component of fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2); however, γ-chain expression normally ceases after birth. As HbF does not form the fibers that cause the disease, pharmacological and gene-modifying interventions have attempted to either reactivate expression of the γ chain or introduce a gene encoding a modified β chain having γ-like character. Here, we show that a single-site modification on the α chain, αPro114Arg, retards fiber formation as effectively as HbF. Because this addition to the repertoire of anti-sickling approaches acts independently of other modifications, it could be coupled with other therapies to significantly enhance their effectiveness.
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