Researchers from the University of Oviedo led by Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Carlos López-Otín have discovered thatinsulin-like growth factor lengthens the longevity of mice with progeria or premature aging syndrome by 25%, a disease that in humans shows the symptoms of aging in very young children, who usually survive only until the first years of adolescence.
The team found in genetically modified mice in the laboratory that levels of thehormone known as insulin growth factor or IGF1they were abnormally low in these pathologies. In addition, they observed that the reduction in IGF1 levels seemed to be responsible for some of the main characteristic symptoms of progerias, prompting them to work to try to restore levels of the hormone in this animal model.
? Surprisingly, treatment with IGF1 led to a notable improvement in various disorders present in these mice, including weight gain, recovery of subcutaneous fat and locomotor capacity, decreased alopecia and a significant increase in their life expectancy ,? the authors conclude.
López-Otín highlights that this new work presents an option to improve the clinical situation and extend the life of prematurely aging patients. In addition, he adds, it represents an important advance from a scientific point of view, since it providesnew clues about the mechanisms responsible for normal agingand the role played by the endocrine system in this process.
