The blood of normal individuals
contains a protein called factor VIII
that enables the blood to clot after
an injury. But in people with hemophilia, the gene
that produces factor VIII is defective and bleeding
continues uncontrolled. Discover how a gene
controls the production of a protein.Injections
of factor VIII at the first sign of bleeding allow
many hemophiliacs to control bleeding episodes.HemophiliaHemophilia
Queen Victoria of England
carried the gene for hemophilia.
“Our poor family,” she wrote in
her diary, “seems persecuted by this awful disease,
the worst I know.” One son died of hemophilia
and two daughters inherited the gene for the
disease. Why are carriers of hemophilia
always female?Biologists have recently
learned to make a genetically
engineered form of factor VIII.
New research in genetic engineering has yielded
female pigs that produce factor VIII in
their milk. What are the safety
advantages of genetically-
engineered factor VIII?141
Factor VIII proteinhttp://www.scilinks.org
Topic: Hemophilia
Keyword: HX4097Queen Victoria