Jan 6, 2021
‘Incredible’ gene-editing result in mice inspires plans to treat premature-aging syndrome in children
Posted by Quinn Sena in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, life extension
One mouse is hunched over, graying, and barely moves at 7 months old. Others, at 11 months, have sleek black coats and run around. The videos and other results from a new study have inspired hope for treating children born with progeria, a rare, fatal, genetic disease that causes symptoms much like early aging. In mice with a progeria-causing mutation, a cousin of the celebrated genome editor known as CRISPR corrected the DNA mistake, preventing the heart damage typical of the disease, a research team reports today in. Treated mice lived about 500 days, more than twice as long as untreated animals.
“The outcome is incredible,” says gene-therapy researcher Guangping Gao of the University of Massachusetts, who was not involved with the study.