Anti-cancer drug prevents, reverses cardiovascular damage in mouse model of premature aging disorder

Earlier this year, in experiments involving a different type of mouse model for progeria, a group of researchers from Spain and France reported that a combination of statin and bisphosphonate drugs slowed development of the visible symptoms of aging and extended life spans in the animals. Both drugs act upon the same biological pathway as FTI drugs.

While progeria affects only a few dozen children worldwide, efforts aimed at untangling the biological roots of this rare disease may prove valuable in understanding the human aging process in general. "What we learn through studies of rare genetic disorders often has implications for more common conditions," said NHGRI Scientific Director Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D. "For example, a growing body of evidence indicates that all people produce small amounts of the mutant protein found in progeria patients, and that this protein may play roles in aging or longevity."

In addition to NHGRI and NHLBI, the team that conducted the most recent study included researchers from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, and CVPath Institute, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.

For more information about progeria, go to http://www.genome.gov/11007255.

A high-resolution photograph contrasting the coronary arteries of treated and untreated mice is available at http://www.genome.gov/pressDisplay.cfm?photoID=20132. A high-resolution photograph of a child with progeria is available at http://www.genome.gov/pressDisplay.cfm?photoID=53. A photograph of cells from progeria patients is available at http://www.genome.gov/pressDisplay.cfm?photoID=37.

NHGRI is one of 27 institutes and centers at the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The NHGRI Division of Intramural Research develops and implements technology to understand, diagnose and treat genomic and genetic diseases. Additional information about NHGRI can be found at its Web site, www.genome.gov.

NHLBI plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) –"The Nation's Medical Research Agency" – includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.