Pathological erythrocyte (pRBC)

Pathological red blood cells (erythrocytes) are not a single molecular target but rather a broad category of cells that have undergone structural, functional, or biochemical alterations due to genetic mutations or infectious agents. In conditions like sickle cell disease, the pathological state is driven by the polymerization of abnormal hemoglobin (HbS), leading to the characteristic crescent shape, increased rigidity, and shortened lifespan of the cell (NIH, 2023). In malaria, the pathological state is induced by Plasmodium species which remodel the host cell membrane to express adhesive proteins, leading to sequestration in the microvasculature (PubMed: 28508460). Therapeutic strategies do not 'target' the cell as a receptor but instead focus on the underlying molecular drivers within the cell, such as inhibiting hemoglobin polymerization or blocking cellular adhesion molecules (StatPearls, 2023). Because 'Pathological red blood cell' refers to a diseased cell population rather than a specific protein, enzyme, or receptor, it is classified as a biological phenotype rather than a canonical drug target. Understanding the mechanical and chemical properties of these cells is critical for developing treatments for hematologic and infectious diseases that involve premature erythrocyte clearance or vascular occlusion (NCBI: NBK1905).

Other names

Pathological red blood cellSickled erythrocyteInfected red blood cellAbnormal erythrocyteDysmorphic red blood cell

Drugs targeting pathological red blood cells typically work by increasing hemoglobin oxygen affinity to prevent polymerization (e.g., Voxelotor), inhibiting adhesion to the vascular endothelium (e.g., Crizanlizumab), or inducing oxidative stress/metabolic disruption in intracellular parasites like Plasmodium (e.g., Artemisinins).