Adlettelnati Sickle-cell disease's Middle East hotspot

摘要

The Middle East is something of a hub for sickle-cell disease, with as much as 2.6% of the population in some areas living with the genetic disorder. Adlette Inati is a clinical haematology specialist at the Lebanese American University in Byblos. She is also president of the Georges Nassim Khoriaty Foundation, which supports people with sickle-cell disease in Lebanon. She spoke to Nature about the disease's epidemiology in the Middle East and why genetic screening might be particularly beneficial in this region.