After the early 1970s, the amount of research that Pauling conducted on sickle cell anemia and hemoglobin diminished significantly, yet he continued to read about the subjects. Stephen Lawson, who has worked at the Linus Pauling Institute since the late 1970s, noted that the Institute had little money to work with and that most of it came from private donations. With the limited funds, the Institute pursued research on the therapeutic benefits of vitamins for fighting cancer, a topic that excited Pauling greatly. Also, private money contributed to the Institute was spent as the donors requested. Most likely, Pauling’s work on hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia was reduced out of necessity because of his increased interest in cancer and orthomolecular therapies and because funding did not allow Pauling to have projects outside of the Institute’s scope and resources.

From the 1930s when he initially developed an interest in hemoglobin until the later years of his life, Pauling continually read new information about hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia, especially that which built upon his publications. In 1964 and 1977 Pauling revisited his work on the iron-oxygen bond in hemoglobin and its derivatives by evaluating articles written in scientific journals. Based on his active participation in these issues, Pauling obviously valued the research that he had conducted involving normal and abnormal hemoglobin and he wanted to keep a good scientific reputation in this area.

Pauling also continued discussing sickle cell anemia in his later years. In 1994 (the year he died) two books on sickle cell anemia contained forewords written by him in which he reflected upon the circumstances that led him to gain an interest in the disease. He also discussed issues pertaining to sickle cell anemia with medical doctors and scientists.