Hematology: Help for Hemophiliacs

Hemophilia is not just "the disease of kings," although it was so called after Queen Victoria transmitted the deadly trait to Russia's Romanovs and a dozen other royal-blooded descendants. As many as 40,000 Americans, commoners all, are estimated to suffer from the severe, "classical" form of the ailment. Doctors have learned to control most victims' bleeding episodes with transfusions and intravenous injections. But the techniques involved have been complex, cumbersome and costly. Only recently has medical research advanced sufficiently to simplify the process and cope with the problems of supply.

What the hemophiliac's blood lacks, because of a genetic...