Progeria is a bizarre disease found in 1 in about 4 million children. Basically, progeria causes rapid aging in children. By age 10, a child will look like an 80 year-old, complete with age-related problems like high blood pressure and arthritis. It is a bizarre, horrible disease that (until recently) had no cure. Most children with progeria make it to about age 13, when they suffer a fatal stroke or heart attack.
Researchers have identified some of the genes behind progeria and have developed an experimental treatment. Currently, 29 children are in the experiment. Not only does this promise to lessen the suffering caused by this genetic disorder, it also promises to give a great deal of new understanding on "normal" aging processes. In fact, aging itself remains a great medical mystery that progress is only now being made at understanding.
Must Read: Why We Age
Researchers have identified some of the genes behind progeria and have developed an experimental treatment. Currently, 29 children are in the experiment. Not only does this promise to lessen the suffering caused by this genetic disorder, it also promises to give a great deal of new understanding on "normal" aging processes. In fact, aging itself remains a great medical mystery that progress is only now being made at understanding.
Must Read: Why We Age
Comments
Comments are closed for this post.
