Red Blood Cell Deformability in Hereditary Hemolytic Anemia

The red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and, for this, they must be able to deform. The most common cause of hereditary anemia in childhood is hereditary spherocytosis (HS), a disease in which red blood cells cannot be deformed and are destroyed in the spleen (hemolysis). Despite advances in genetic and molecular knowledge, hereditary hemolytic anemias (HHAs) are, even today, a health problem to be solved. A growing body of evidence, including studies based on new generation ektacytometry, has shown that in HS and other forms of HHAs, changes in RBC deformability suggest a combination of protein changes in the membrane, cytoskeletal alterations, and fluid and electrolyte imbalance. The objective of this Research Topic is to investigate the contribution of these processes to improve the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of hemolysis in HHA and to open new avenues of research for the design of therapeutic targets that, used as drugs, allow the design of a personalized treatment for patients with HHA.With this in mind, contributions are welcome from all angles, including membrane and cytoskeletal mechanisms, ion transport and cellular hydration, novel diagnostic approaches, and translational research toward personalized treatment. Topic editors: Joan-lluis Vives-Corrons, Philippe Connes Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80781/red-blood-cell-deformability-in-hereditary-hemolytic-anemia