Slashdot Mirror
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."
... means establishing a roadmap to develop treatments. Many beancounters are wondering how mapping genes is every going to benefit anyone - well, it's like drawing a map, over time you discover relationships which were previously unknown... Once you understand the mechanisms behind those relationships, you are able to design treatments and establish a better understanding of the genesis of genetic deseases.