Accelerated Aging Gene Identified

bradbury writes "A host of news sources are carrying news that the gene responsible for Progeria, otherwise known as Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome, has been identified as Lamin A (LMNA). Sources include a Eureka Alert article, a Science Daily article and a Nature Science Update article. Of interest is the fact that the gene causes at least 6 other genetic diseases. For the hard core science people, an extended discussion of LMNA can be found in the OMIM database here."

Comments

Accelerated Aging Gene Identified?

[Feztaa]

And when will we see the cure for old?

Interesting - but not helpful to aging problem

[Muhammar]

Progeria is genetic disorder, patients have defective gene that messes up the nuclear membrane. Hence DNA deffects acumulate fast, cells apoptose and the whole picture is similar to accelerated aging. Understanding the problem will help with the affliction diagnosis, but the underlying mechanism of the damage will probably turn out to be something common, even banal - like oxidative stress that does not get repaired quickly enough.

This may emulate aging, but not explain how to prevent aging.