Expert: Walter Hintz - 3/28/2006

Question
A doctor tells a patient that his red blood cells are abnormally high in hemoglobin content. The patient is given medication to slow down the synthesis of this particular protein. The patient dies and his relatives sue the drug company. Which organelle is named in the lawsuit? and what killed the patient?

Answer
 This is  a silly question that puzzles me for many reasons.  The red cells themselves can be low in hemoglobin but not too high in hemoglobin.  High hemoglobin is the result of an increase in red cells.  This is called polycythemia vera.  It comes about for various reasons including smoking, living in a higher altitude and some bone marrow diseases.
 Now no doctor would give a drug to slow down hemoglobin production but he would treat the high red cell levels.Furthermore I do not believe there is a drug that slows down hemoglobin synthesis. Hemoglobin is made in the mitochondria so I suppose that a mitochondrial poison could be used and that would be stupid.  Nobody would want to do it.
If the patient died the suit would be against the doctor not the drug company.
 Assuming this situation came about and the hemoglobin level dropped too low.  The patient would suffer severe anemia and possible multiple organ failures.
 Naming an organelle in a Law suit is rediculous. As I stated is produced however in the mitochondria.