Progeria treatment validated in mice

Five years after the identification of the gene responsible for progeria, a rare disease causing accelerated and premature aging, a team of Spanish and French researchers has successfully demonstrated a treatment for the disease, using mice. Combining two existing pharmacological molecules, the novel approach should slow down the progression of this disease which has until now remained untreatable, noted the researchers led by Carlos Lopez-Otin and Nicolas Levy.

Subject to the authorization of health agencies, this treatment could very soon be tested on 15 children in Europe. According to the two teams of scientists, this represents a major advance for the families affected by this disease and, more generally, for the understanding of the normal aging process.

The treatment recently validated in mice is based on statins, indicated for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks, plus aminobisphosphonates, for osteoporosis. The French and Spanish researchers have demonstrated that this combination attenuated the effects of the disease and significantly raised life expectancy.