RESUMO
Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that results in inefficient erythropoiesis due to genetic mutation that leads to the reduction or absence of the hemoglobin beta-globulin protein. Approximately 8.5% of UAE residents suffer from ß-thalassemia, a significant health and financial problem. The treatment options available for ß-Thalassemia major are limited and associated with a wide range of complications. ß-thalassemia gene therapy is emerging as a potential novel treatment option that eliminates the complications caused by the current long-term treatment modalities and the associated economic burden. This paper reviews the scientific literature related to emerging gene therapy for ß-Thalassemia by analyzing all the articles published from January 2010 to December 2023 in the English language on Databases like PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and CINAHL. The use of gene therapy has demonstrated promising outcomes for a permanent cure of ß-Thalassemia. To conclude, gene therapy is an innovative solution. It demonstrates a promising future, but does come with its own setbacks and is something that must be tackled in order to revolutionize it in the medical world. FDA-approved ZYNTEGLO is a potentially one-time curative treatment for ß-Thalassemia. Although cutting-edge, its use is limited because of the high cost-a price of USD 2.8 million per patient.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) has caused worldwide panic in the global population taking people's lives, creating fear, and affecting mother-child relationships. Many questions were raised on the dangers of being infected with COVID-19 for newborns and safety concerns during feeding by COVID-19-positive mothers. Moreover, questions and doubts about the safety of the administration of vaccinations for nursing mothers are still open. This review attempts to fill the existing literature gap by exploring concepts concerning COVID-19 and breastfeeding mothers, the safety of vaccinations, the beneficial effects of breastfeeding on both mother and child, important hygiene recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers, and possible solutions to optimize breastfeeding and safety precautions amidst the fear of emergence of novel variants. METHODS: All relevant publications from Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus search engines from December 2019 to October 2022 related to SARS-CoV-2, breastfeeding, COVID-19, lactating guidelines, and vaccination were included using 'Breastfeeding AND vaccine AND SARS-CoV-2' as MESH TERMS. Apart from the literature review, existing maternity protocols followed in Northern UAE were gathered from lactation consultants practicing in the UAE. RESULTS: Out of 19,391 records generated, only 24 studies were analyzed and summarized in this exhaustive review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow chart. Previous studies suggest that breastmilk is predominantly the primary source of nutrition for neonates. Breast milk is a rich source of antibodies that help the baby to fight against infections including other benefits. Hygiene recommendations for suspected or confirmed COVID-19-infected mothers are required along with psychological and emotional support. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of vaccinations should be advised and encouraged to protect the mothers with antibodies and the neonates by the passive transmission of antibodies through breast milk. This is a significant reason for not stopping breastfeeding even in case of COVID-19 infection. With adherence to proper hygiene methods, breastfeeding is recommended to be continued as the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.