Sickle cell anaemia is a disease of red blood cells, caused by an autosomal recessive single gene defect in the beta-chain of haemoglobin, which results in production of sickle cell haemoglobin. Sickle cells can obstruct blood flow and break down prematurely, and they are associated with varying degrees of anaemia. A common presentation of sickle cell disease (SCD) is a painful sickle crisis, caused by obstruction of small blood capillaries. Treatment includes symptom control (including pain management) and prevention and management of complications. Until now, haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation has been the only potentially curative treatment option, but a new type of gene therapy has just been launched by NHS England. In this episode, Dr Roger Henderson gives an overview of some of the key points of SCD, with a focus on this new treatment and its availability.Access episode show notes containing key references and take-home points at:https://gpnotebook.com/en-GB/podcasts/haematology/ep-148-sickle-cell-disease (https://gpnotebook.com/en-GB/podcasts/haematology/ep-148-sickle-cell-disease).Did you know? With GPnotebook Pro, you can earn CPD credits by tracking the podcast episodes you listen to. Learn more (https://gpnotebook.com/en-GB/gpnotebook-pro).