Context: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), organized a workshop on “BIRSA 101”, India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), at CSIR-IGIB, New Delhi on 14th May 2026 under the ongoing celebrations of Janjatiya Garima Utsav 2026.
BIRSA 101:
- It is India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy, designed to treat Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
- The therapy has been named Birsa-101 in honour of the tribal leader Birsa Munda.
- Developed by: It is developed by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).
- CRISPR Technology: It utilizes the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to correct the genetic mutation causing Sickle Cell Disease.
- Affordability: It is priced significantly lower than global CRISPR treatments, making it more accessible to the poorest populations.
- Birsa-101 precisely corrects the mutations in the genetic code that causes the disease.
- The therapy has to be given as a one-time infusion, after which the body should start producing normal red blood cells instead of sickle-shaped ones.
Sickle Cell Disease:
- It is a genetic condition that leads to the body’s red blood cells becoming rigid, sickle-shaped, and less capable of carrying oxygen.
- The shape of the blood cells can also lead to blockages in blood flow, leading to acute episodes of pain, chronic pain, organ damage, anaemia, infections, and strokes.
- A person can be a carrier and not have a disease.
- The likelihood of a child having the disease increases if both parents are carriers or one parent has the disease and the other is a carrier.