By: Leo Zou

Hemophilia is a rare inherited disease that causes people, primarily males, to have problems with blood clotting, the process that stops bleeding. Hemophilia A affects 1 in 5,000 to 10,000 males, with hemophilia B being less common, affecting 1 in 25,000 to 30,000 males, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Doctors in the United Kingdom say that a new therapy has “cured” people with hemophilia B. According to the medical team, most adults with hemophilia could be cured in the next three years.

Hemophilia causes blood clotting, the process of blood turning from a liquid to a thick gel, which stops the bleeding, to take more time. This is because, typically, when you bleed, substances within your blood, called clotting factors, blend with blood cells called platelets. This makes your blood thick and sticky, forming a clot or scab, which will eventually cause the bleeding to end. However, people with hemophilia have fewer clotting factors than usual in their blood, causing them to bleed longer.

The symptoms of hemophilia can vary in severity, depending on how much fewer clotting factors someone has compared to expected. There are two primary types of hemophilia, hemophilia A and hemophilia B.

In hemophilia A, there is a lack or total absence of clotting factor VIII, or clotting factor eight.

In contrast, with hemophilia B, there is a lack or complete absence of clotting factor nine. This new treatment can help people with hemophilia B. People with hemophilia B must inject themselves regularly to compensate for the lack of clotting factors in their blood.

Sources: CBBC Newsround, Cleveland Clinic