My granddaughter was recently diagnosed with fifth disease or slap cheek. This is a very common childhood illness. Since I have Polycythemia vera though, I decided to do a little research about that disease to make sure I could be around her safely. Here is what I learned about that:
Parvovirus infection (fifth disease - slap cheek) in people with anemia may stop the production of red blood cells and cause an anemia crisis. People with sickle cell anemia are at particular risk.
I am totally ignorant about medical/biology but reading this, I can’t help but wonder if this parvovirus could somehow be manipulated to fight polycythemia vera.
Written by
FlannelPJs
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It's possible that side effect of the infection could reduce HCT/ RBCs as it does for pts with anemia. Problem is any treatment derived from such pathological instigator would be guilty until proven innocent. Its malevolent elements would need to be de-fanged, which might neutralize its benefit also.
There is recent precedent for employing a pathogen to good, adenoviruses can bring the common cold. Modified versions were used in the AZ and J&J covid vaxes to insert the active vaccine into cells. Two issues: Common cold is not normally serious, and these vaxes didn't work out to well, causing too high rates of thrombosis.
Considering the expense of proving innocence researchers are focused on solutions that are not derived from pathological sources. The current state of the art for exclusive HCT reduction is via hepcidin manipulation, Rusfertide will be the first such treatment.
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