BIRSA 101

BIRSA 101 Latest News

Recently, the union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology launched India’s first indigenous “CRISPR” based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease and named it BIRSA 101.

About BIRSA 101

• It is India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy, designed to treat Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
• The therapy has been named Birsa-101 in honour of the tribal leader Birsa Munda.
• Developed by: It is developed by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).

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Key Features of BIRSA 101

• CRISPR Technology: It utilizes the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to correct the genetic mutation causing Sickle Cell Disease.
• Affordability: It is priced significantly lower than global CRISPR treatments, making it more accessible to the poorest populations.

How does Birsa-101 Cure Sickle Cell Disease?

• Birsa-101 precisely corrects the mutations in the genetic code that causes the disease.
• The therapy has to be given as a one-time infusion, after which the body should start producing normal red blood cells instead of sickle-shaped ones.

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

• It is a genetic condition that leads to the body’s red blood cells becoming rigid, sickle-shaped, and less capable of carrying oxygen.
• The shape of the blood cells can also lead to blockages in blood flow, leading to acute episodes of pain, chronic pain, organ damage, anaemia, infections, and strokes.
• A person can be a carrier and not have a disease.
• The likelihood of a child having the disease increases if both parents are carriers or one parent has the disease and the other is a carrier.

Source: PIB