Bone marrow consists of many cell types. (WIkimedia Commons)
Fanconi anemia is the most common inherited bone marrow failure. The condition depletes all types of blood cells: the red cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that provide immunity, and platelets, which are cell fragments that break open and initiate the blood clotting cascade. As a result, patients experience symptoms of profound fatigue, poor growth, frequent infections, and bruising and bleeding. By age 12, most patients develop progressive bone marrow failure, which is deadly.
To continue reading, go to DNA Science, where this post first appeared.