Context:
A two-month-old who has Bubble Baby Syndrome become the youngest to receive bone marrow transplant.
About Bubble Baby Syndrome:
- A rare inherited genetic disorder
- A term used to describe Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Syndrome (SCID).
- SCID is characterized by little or no immune protection
- Known as “living in the bubble” syndrome because living in a normal environment can be fatal to a child who has it.
What is Bubble Baby Syndrome:
- In a developing fetus, the immune system originates in the bone marrow, where stem cells can differentiate into three types of blood cells:
- red blood cells,
- white blood cells, and
- platelets.
- White blood cells, crucial for protecting against infections, include lymphocytes.
- These lymphocytes, comprising B-cells and T-cells, play a vital role in combating infections.
- T-cells identify and eliminate invaders, while B-cells produce antibodies that “remember” infections for future defense.
- SCID, a combined immunodeficiency, affects both types of these infection-fighting white blood cells, resulting in an inadequate or dysfunctional immune response against germs like viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Causes:
- SCID is attributed to inherited mutations in multiple genes.
- This implies that the condition is passed down from one or both birth parents to their child.
Treatment:
- Stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant)
Source: Deccan Herald
Must Read: Stem Cell Therapy
Previous year question
With reference to ‘stem cells’, frequently in the news, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
1. Stem cells can be derived from mammals only.
2. Stem cells can be used for screenings new drugs.
3. Stem cells can be used for medical therapies.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below. [2012]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: b
