Cellular Anti-Aging Therapy

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare disorder of rapid aging. The disease is caused by a mutation that occurs at the time of conception in a lamin A protein called progerin. The syndrome severely disrupts cell architecture and function. Children with HGPS exhibit growth failure, alopecia, loss of body hair and fat, osteoporosis and aged-looking skin. Patients often succumb to heart disease or stroke and have an average lifespan of 15 years. The rapid aging of these children is associated with accelerated erosion of the telomeres. Telomeres are structures at the end of a chromosome that gradually shorten as we age. Scientists do not yet know what mechanism causes rapid telomere erosion in HGPS patients, but it is possible is that telomere erosion contributes to rapid aging.

A recent study by researchers at Houston Methodist looked at how mRNA encoding human telomerase could treat HGPS. John Cooke, MD, PhD, and a team of researchers tested the hypothesis that transient expression of purified human telomerase (hTERT) mRNA might restore telomere length, thereby reversing some of the rapid aging in phenotypes of patient cells. The study revealed that transient expression of hTERT mRNA rapidly restores almost all functions to HGPS cells without transforming cells. HGPS cells treated with hTERT mRNA behaved like young healthy cells, with normal cell growth, function and gene expression.