A medical breakthrough in Louisiana has benefited 15-year-old Phillip Mullin of Alexandria.
FOX 8 WVUE-TV in New Orleans reports that gene therapy has functionally cured Mullin, a student at Holy Savior Menard High School, of sickle cell disease. According to the treatment’s official website, he was treated at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans with Lyfgenia, a one-time gene therapy for patients ages 12 and older. The therapy adds genetic material to a patient’s stem cells to prevent the red blood cells from mutating. The cells are returned to the patient, and no donor is required.
As AFROTECH™previously reported, sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that distorts red blood cells into a crescent or “sickle” shape, making it harder for the cells to flow through the body. This can lead to chronic pain, stroke, kidney disease, and more.
Mullin was hospitalized for at least 100 days and is now reportedly the first teen to be cured of sickle cell disease using gene therapy. As AFROTECH™ reported, 23-year-old Daniel Cressy was the first in Louisiana to be cured of sickle cell through gene therapy.
Mullin commented during a ceremony held Friday, Oct. 23, per FOX 8:
“Sacrifices are necessary. You can’t gain anything without first giving something in return, although if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle.”
The teen hopes to help others with sickle cell disease receive similar treatment, according to the outlet. He aspires to become a hematologist-oncologist who treats blood disorders and cancer.
“I want to be a doctor that can relate to somebody… relate to a sickle cell patient and actually know what they’re going through,” Mullin explained to the outlet.
Louisiana State Representative Ed Larvadain III said in a statement, according to KALB News Channel 5:
“I would like to express my thanks to all who helped with, planned, or participated in the treatment of Phillip Mullin. Those would be LCMC Health, Manning Family Children’s, hospital leaders, all physicians, nurses, technicians, and any hospital staff involved with this groundbreaking procedure. Their total commitment to providing first-class medical care to Phillip and assistance to his mother throughout this awesome journey is greatly appreciated.”
He continued, “I would also like to thank Genetix Biotherapeutics, the company that manufactured Phillip’s cells using LYFGENIA gene therapy to treat his sickle cell disease. This was the first time the LYFGENIA product has been used in the State of Louisiana.”
