BIRSA 101 | 20 Nov 2025

Why in News?

The Minister of Science & Technology has launched “BIRSA 101”, India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease.

• Named after  Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary (15th November 2025), the therapy strengthens India’s push for a “Sickle-Cell-Free Nation,” with significant benefits for affected tribal communities in central and eastern India.

Key Points

• About BIRSA 101:
  • The gene therapy was developed by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology(CSIR-IGIB) and transferred to the Serum Institute of India through a structured technology-transfer agreement, ensuring rapid pathway from lab to market.
  • The public–private model is designed to deliver high-quality, affordable genomic therapies to underserved communities.
• About CRISPR Gene Editing:
  • CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a naturally occurring defence mechanism found in bacteria, used to cut viral DNA.
  • Modern gene-editing uses CRISPR–Cas9, where Cas9 functions like molecular scissors to cut DNA at specific target sites.
  • It enables precise, efficient, and low-cost genome editing, making it a major breakthrough in biotechnology and medical research.
  • First demonstrated as a gene-editing tool in 2012, pioneered by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, who received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
    
• About Sickle Cell Disease (SCD):
  • Sickle Cell Disease is an autosomal recessive genetic blood disorder caused by an HBB gene mutation, producing abnormal Hemoglobin-S that makes red blood cells sickle-shaped and rigid. This leads to anemia, pain crises, infections, and organ complications.
  • It is highly prevalent in tribal communities of central and eastern India and is a focus area under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023–2047).
  • Conventional treatment includes hydroxyurea, blood transfusions, and stem-cell transplant.