Argumentative Essay On Hemophilia

A great amount of studies have been conducted on the blood clotting disorder, hemophilia, and it’s plenty of ways to manage the disease. Scientists debate the most effective form of treatment, whether it is doses of factor eight and factor nine injections or gene and cell therapy. Different researchers have provided contradictory evidence to other studies in their quest to find the optimal treatment for hemophilia patients. This paper will address the benefits of each treatment and their efficiency in reducing the patients’ symptoms. Hemophilia patients genetically lack two main coagulation factors, called factor eight (VIII) and nine (IX). Two experts in the hemophilia field, Dr. Hartmann and Dr. Croteau, note current ways to manage the disease can come from factor VIII and factor IX protein replacement through injections (2016). Scientists have debated this method of treatment, although it is the most common, because the proteins have been reported to decrease in their effects over time. It has been proven that “25% of the patients develop inhibitory antibodies to factor VIII following repeated infusions” (Miao, 2016). Over time,

Ohmori et al. write that because hemophilia is the results of a gene mutation, it is a perfect fit for treatment through gene and cell therapy (Ohmori et al., 2015). A major advantage of gene therapy is the use of AAV vectors, which are safe and have low risk of falling immune to the body. On the other hands, the treatment of cell therapy, which involves the transplant of cells into the affected persons, has a slight advantage over gene therapy, as it does not include the side effects associated with the AAV vectors. Although it has not been formally experimented, Ohmori believes hematopoietic stem cells can be transplanted and will express as coagulation factors in the blood for a long amount of time, helping relieve hemophilia symptoms in those with the