Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Multiple Allele Traits

Multiple Allele Traits

The Concept of Multiple Allelism

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a globular protein made up of four subunits. Two of these subunits are alpha chains, and the other two are beta chains. Each subunit contains a molecule of heme, which has an iron atom and can bind to oxygen. When an oxygen molecule binds to one heme group, it changes the shape of hemoglobin, making it easier for the other heme groups to bind oxygen as well.
When all four heme groups are bound to oxygen, the resulting molecule is called oxyhemoglobin. As a result, arterial blood...

Oxygen Transport in the Blood

Oxygen Transport in the Blood

Hemoglobin (Hb) is a crucial molecule in the human body, consisting of four polypeptide chains, each bound to an iron-containing heme group. This unique structure enables hemoglobin to bind to oxygen, with each molecule capable of combining with four molecules of oxygen, leading to rapid and reversible oxygen loading. When fully loaded with oxygen, it is called oxyhemoglobin, while hemoglobin that has released oxygen is called reduced hemoglobin or deoxyhemoglobin. As hemoglobin binds oxygen,...

Rh Blood Group

Rh Blood Group

The Rhesus (Rh) antigen is crucial in determining blood groups and ensuring compatibility during blood transfusions.

Disorders of Erythrocytes

Disorders of Erythrocytes

Disorders of erythrocytes, or red blood cells (RBCs), include a range of conditions affecting their number, shape, or function.
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...

Overview of Hematopoiesis

Overview of Hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis, or blood cell production, is a vital biological process that begins early in embryonic development and continues throughout life. This process generates the various types of cells found in blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
Developmental Phases of Hematopoiesis
Initially, HSCs are formed in the embryonic yolk sac, a critical site for early blood cell production. These stem cells subsequently migrate to other...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A New Fetal Hemoglobin-Related Phenotype in Sickle Cell Anemia.

American journal of hematology·2026

Same author

Exa-cel in Children with Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia or Sickle Cell Disease.

The New England journal of medicine·2026

Same author

Modeling Genetic Diversity in Sickle Cell Disease Reveals Heterogeneous Responses to HbF-Inducing Therapies.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

PGC-1α agonism via oral administration of ZLN005 induces fetal hemoglobin and is antisickling in sickle mice.

Blood advances·2026

Same author

Advancing Pediatric Cancer Care in Asia: Outcomes From the 17th Annual SIOP Asia Congress, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

JCO global oncology·2026

Same author

One cell at a time: HbF distribution in sickle cell disease.

Blood advances·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry

Published on: November 5, 2019

Fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell anemia.

Idowu Akinsheye¹, Abdulrahman Alsultan, Nadia Solovieff

¹Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.

|April 15, 2011

Summary

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) significantly impacts sickle cell disease severity by genetic regulation. Studying individuals with naturally high HbF offers insights into disease management and potential new therapeutic strategies.

More Related Videos

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

Published on: March 14, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry

Published on: November 5, 2019

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

Published on: March 14, 2017

Area of Science:

Hematology
Genetics
Molecular Biology

Background:

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is a key genetic factor influencing sickle cell disease (SCD) clinical and hematologic manifestations.
HbF's protective effect stems from its inability to polymerize with sickle hemoglobin.
Genetic regulation of HbF levels and distribution among erythrocytes is highly variable in SCD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the role of genetic modulators in fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels in sickle cell disease (SCD).
To understand how high HbF impacts disease severity and specific complications.
To identify potential therapeutic targets for increasing HbF in SCD.

Main Methods:

Analysis of genetic factors associated with high HbF levels in sickle cell disease patients.
Correlation of HbF levels and distribution with clinical phenotypes and disease severity.
Review of recent advancements in understanding HbF gene regulation.

Main Results:

Certain genetic haplotypes (Senegal, Saudi-Indian) are linked to exceptionally high HbF levels.
High HbF is associated with milder, though not asymptomatic, SCD.
Differential benefits of HbF across various SCD complications may relate to erythrocyte destruction.

Conclusions:

Studying individuals with naturally high HbF can yield crucial insights into HbF gene regulation.
Targeting HbF induction presents a promising therapeutic avenue for sickle cell disease.
Further research is needed to optimize HbF-based therapies for SCD management.