Medical research

A new CRISPR/Cas9 therapy can suppress aging

Aging is a leading risk factor for a number of debilitating conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease, to name a few. This makes the need for anti-aging therapies all the more urgent. Now, Salk Institute ...

Medical research

The accidental discovery of how to stay young for longer

Living longer usually means a longer dotage, but wouldn't it be enticing to extend young adulthood instead? It's such an appealing prospect that scientists who are announcing success with roundworms are keen to be clear they ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Possible new drug for children with progeria

(Medical Xpress) -- A new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine shows that rapamycin and its derivative everolimus, which is currently used to treat cancer and transplant rejections, may work to reverse ...

Medical research

Putting the brakes on accelerated aging

Telomeres are to chromosomes what aglets are to shoelaces—protective caps that stop the tightly wound strings from unraveling. Every time a cell divides, its telomeres are trimmed, eventually becoming so short that the ...

Medical research

Experimental drug extends survival in progeria

A report from a clinical trial for a drug to treat the rapid-aging disorder progeria, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, offers hope for families with the ultra-rare genetic condition.

Genetics

Cellular repair could reduce premature aging

Researchers have identified a potential drug therapy for a premature ageing disease that affects children causing them to age up to eight times as fast as the usual rate.

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Progeria (also known as "Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome", "Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome", and "Progeria syndrome") is an extremely rare genetic condition wherein symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at an early age. The word progeria comes from the Greek words "pro" (πρό), meaning "before", and "géras" (γῆρας), meaning "old age". The disorder has very low incidences and occurs in an estimated 1 per 8 million live births. Those born with progeria typically live to their mid teens and early twenties. It is a genetic condition that occurs as a new mutation (de novo), and is rarely inherited. Although the term progeria applies strictly speaking to all diseases characterized by premature aging symptoms, and is often used as such, it is often applied specifically in reference to Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome(HGPS).

Scientists are particularly interested in progeria because it might reveal clues about the normal process of aging. Progeria was first described in 1886 by Jonathan Hutchinson. It was also described independently in 1897 by Hastings Gilford. The condition was later named Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS).

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