Standing 3 feet tall, Meg didn't appear like her peers. Bald and skinny, her body was age rapidly because she had a rare hereditary disease called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. People with progeria wrinkle and expand the same circulation and joint ailments as the elderly -- except most of them die by age 13.
Progeria affects 200-250 children worldwide, but do researches into the disease could offer clues on cellular purpose and how it affects human aging and other age-related diseases. This week, a study about a possible treatment was available in Science Translational Medicine. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the authors. About 30 years ago, Collins, then a little Yale University doctor, met Meg. He realized there was little he might do for his patient, but he couldn't look away.
"It was compelling to try to recognize why someone's body is melting away in the ravages of age," he said. "You couldn't be involved devoid of marveling at it and wanting to do something to understand the situation."Collins offered his worry and compassion, but there was no treatment for her disease.
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