Researchers identify potential drug therapy for progeria

Researchers from Durham University have identified a widely-used drug therapy that could be utilised among children with premature ageing disorders as part of a clinical study.

Published in the journal of Human Molecular Genetics, the findings revealed N-acetyl cysteine effectively controlled reactive oxygen species generation and DNA damage among Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome patients.

The clinical scientists carried out the study to establish how to limit and repair DNA damage defects in cells to provide a model for understanding the ageing process.

Professor Chris Hutchinson from the Biophysical Sciences Institute at Durham University said: "It would be great to find a way to help relieve some of the effects of progeria and to extend the children's lives."

The average life expectancy for someone with the condition is about 13 years, with patients ageing up to eight times too quickly.

Although children with progeria appear healthy when they are born, characteristics of the illness are usually displayed between the ages of 18 and 24 months, with symptoms including loss of body fat, growth failure and stiffness of joints.