thalassemia
noun
thal·as·se·mia
ˌtha-lə-ˈsē-mē-ə 
: any of a group of inherited disorders of hemoglobin synthesis (such as Cooley's anemia) that are marked by mild to severe hypochromic and microcytic anemia, result from the partial or complete failure in production of one or more globin chains, and tend to occur especially in individuals of Mediterranean, African, or southeastern Asian ancestry
—sometimes used with a prefix (such as alpha-, beta-, or delta-) to indicate the hemoglobin chain affected
see beta-thalassemia
Examples of thalassemia in a Sentence
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While there’s a lot of excitement about the treatments among sickle cell patients and those suffering from a related disorder known as beta thalassemia, only about 60 of the thousands of patients eligible for the treatment have started the process.
—
Rob Stein, NPR, 19 Sep. 2024
Those at greater risk include people with leukemia or other cancers, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV, and blood disorders such as sickle cell and thalassemia.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, cells fixed by gene therapy can slow, even stop, the progression of intractable diseases like sickle cell or beta thalassemia — for the extraordinary price of $2.1 million to $4.25 million each.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 12 May 2024
Orkin focused his attention on the hemoglobin gene, which is mutated in people with sickle cell anemia and another set of blood diseases called beta thalassemia.
—TIME, 2 May 2024
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Rob Stein, NPR, 19 Sep. 2024
Those at greater risk include people with leukemia or other cancers, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV, and blood disorders such as sickle cell and thalassemia.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, cells fixed by gene therapy can slow, even stop, the progression of intractable diseases like sickle cell or beta thalassemia — for the extraordinary price of $2.1 million to $4.25 million each.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 12 May 2024
Orkin focused his attention on the hemoglobin gene, which is mutated in people with sickle cell anemia and another set of blood diseases called beta thalassemia.
—TIME, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for thalassemia
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Cite this Entry
“Thalassemia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thalassemia. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
thalassemia
noun
thal·as·se·mia
variants
or British thalassaemia
: any of a group of inherited hypochromic anemias and especially Cooley's anemia controlled by a series of allelic genes that cause reduction in or failure of synthesis of one of the globin chains making up hemoglobin and that tend to occur especially in individuals of Mediterranean, African, or southeastern Asian ancestry
—sometimes used with a prefix (as alpha-, beta-, or delta-) to indicate the hemoglobin chain affected
called also Mediterranean anemia
see alpha-thalassemia, beta-thalassemiaLove words? Need even more definitions?
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