Scientists manage to extend the life of mice with premature aging

The aging is a natural process that appears to be produced by the accumulation of stress factors in cells. At long known causes, such as shortening of telomeres or the fall in levels of DNA repair proteins, we must add the discovery in recent times, the involvement of growth hormone and factor insulin growth factor (IGF). Now, scientists led by Professor Carlos Lopez- Otin, the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Oviedo, have achieved an important step when treating progeria, a disease that causes the sufferer in premature aging.

The results of their experiments are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To achieve these genetically engineered mice used by the team of Lopez- Otin, so that these mice prematurely aged, Mimicking the symptoms of progeria in humans.

In administering the insulin-like growth factor 1 ( IGF1 ), part of the symptoms of the affected mice were reversed, so that gained weight, improved their locomotion and increased up to 25 percent of its life expectancy.

These results could open the door to a future treatment involving the administration of IGF1 in children with progeria, along with other drugs designed to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. José M. Pérez Freije, another of the authors of this research, says they are looking for other experimental approaches to understand the mechanisms of accelerated aging in humans and their importance in natural aging.