Sickle Cell Anemia: From Basic Science to Clinical PracticeAbout This Hardback A sickle cell disease is a group of blood disorders that a person inherits from parents. They usually occur when the person inherits two abnormal copies of the hemoglobin gene. Sickle cell anemia is the most common type of sickle cell disease. It causes an abnormality in hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein found in red blood cells. The problems due to sickle cell anemia begin to appear around 5 to 6 months of age. It leads to