Researchers have identified a potential drug therapy for a premature aging disease that affects children causing them to age up to eight times faster than the usual rate.
The 18-month study, published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, is the first to outline how to limit and repair DNA damage defects in cells and could provide a model for understanding processes that cause us to age.
Researchers looked at Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), a fatal disease that causes premature ageing in children. The research team used in-vitro models and molecular imaging techniques to measure levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage in cells.
Treating cells with a drug normally given to people who have taken acetaminophen overdoses slowed down the aging process, allowing them to grow normally. It is hoped that the drug, N-acetyl cysteine, can one day be used to treat HGPS, improving the quality of life for children.
"In children with progeria, we can see that double-strand breaks in the DNA architecture of cells increase which in turn adds to poor rates of cell growth. Our treatment of these cells with the drug N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) reversed both of these effects,” said Professor Chris Hutchison at UK’s Durham University.
The researchers said their findings were at an early stage and further studies and human clinical trials would be needed to develop effective drug treatments.
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