Louisiana Man Becomes First In Region to Be Functionally Cured of Sickle Cell Disease

A Louisiana man has become the first in the Gulf South to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease using gene therapy. Image Credit: Marti Sans/Stocksy Daniel Cressy of Louisiana has become the first person in the Gulf South to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease. The milestone highlights the growing promise of gene-editing therapies for the blood disorder, which disproportionately affects Black people. Cost, insurance approval, and limited access remain barriers for many eligible patients. A Louisiana man has become the first person in the state to be declared functionally cured of sickle cell disease after receiving the gene-editing therapy Casgevy, Manning Family Children’s Hospital announced on June 22. For Daniel Cressy, 23, the milestone marks the end of a more than two-year treatment journey. It also highlights the growing promise of CRISPR-based gene-editing treatments for people living with the blood disorder. Sickle cell disease (sickle cell anemia) affects more than 100,000 people in the United States, with Louisiana having the highest per capita rate of any state. The inherited disorder causes red blood cells to become rigid and crescent-shaped, restricting blood flow and leading to painful vaso-occlusive crises, organ damage, stroke, infection, and other serious complications. It also disproportionately affects Black Americans. Casgevy is among the first CRISPR-based gene-editing therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat sickle cell disease by targeting the underlying cause of the condition rather than simply managing its symptoms. Daniel Cressy’s journey to a functional cure Diagnosed with sickle cell disease as an infant, Cressy spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals because of painful sickle cell crises. At times, he was hospitalized between six and 12 times each year. Although his symptoms became more manageable during high school, the disease continued to shape his future. Cressy had