[extropy-chat] NEWS:Premature ageing secret unlocked

[J Corbally]

Some good news.  A despicable illness yields a new clue;

>Premature ageing secret unlocked
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3664453.stm

>Two English scientists have unlocked the secret to a rare premature ageing 
>disease called Progeria.
>Researchers at Brunel University, west London found how a mutated gene 
>responsible for the condition works.
>It is hoped the discovery will help treatment for age-related conditions 
>such as stroke and heart disease.
>The research will be published in Experimental Gerontology. Progeria 
>affects around one in four million people. There are 40 known cases.
>The average life expectancy for someone with the condition is around 13 to 
>14 years old.
>Symptoms include baldness, aged-looking skin, dwarfism, and a small face 
>and jaw relative to head size

>A typical cell will divide a certain amount of times so that a new set can 
>replace worn out or damaged ones.
>As a person ages, cells lose the ability to multiply.
>
>The researchers discovered the mutated form of Lamin A cause cells to 
>divide more rapidly, which causes them to die
>
>It is this process which leads to premature ageing.
>
>"The whole key is in the cells," Dr Kill explains.




James...