New Hope in the Fight Against Rare Aging Disorder
Summary
An interesting scientific article appeared in the Boston Globe on June 30, 2011 titled “New hope in the fight against rare aging disorder” (Johnson, 2011). As an employee of Harvard Medical School and the Coordinator of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories of the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, I found the article to be both educational and promising. Working with the leading scientist in the aging field, Professor David Sinclair, this article expressed one particular disease of aging relating to progeria patients. Formerly known as “Hutchinson-Gilford” syndrome, the rapid aging process in children with progeria causes serious diseases associated with aging. These precious children with progeria are able to play, laugh and love like other healthy children but “look old, thin, and suffer cardiovascular problems and usually live on average to the age of 12” (Johnson, 2011). Children with progeria suffer many of the same problems afflicted by aging – hair loss, bone density and fatigue. The article stated that scientists in Boston were experimenting with an “old drug” to help progeria patients.
Scientific Method The National Institute of Health and doctors at Children’s Hospital will begin clinical trials using cells from progeria patients in the laboratory. Scientists will introduce to these diseased cells an altered drug referred to as “rapamycin, a transplant rejection medication shown in a dramatic 2009 study to significantly lengthen the lifespan of mice” to eliminate the abundance of the protein progeria (Johnson, 2011).

Observation In observing these cultures, scientist will be able to confirm that the progeria mutant has been lessened or removed from the cells. If this is the case, further research can be conducted in applying the drug to patients with the disease.
Hypothesis
By injecting cells with this drug and eliminating the progeria protein, scientists hope to stop or slow down the child’s advanced aging process due to progeria. In addition, further study of the drug can assist doctors in treating diseases of the elderly.
Experimentation
Worldwide there are eighty children with the deadly progeria disease. Sixty-five of these children have been allocated to participate in a clinical trial to study progeria. Doctors will extract progeria cells and study the effects that the drug rapamycin has on these cells in an attempt to eliminate the progeria in the cells.
Results
Positive results would be the elimination of the progeria protein from the cells.
Rehypothesis
Be eliminating the protein of progeria, scientists hope to prevent the childhood disease in future babies. Additionally, this information could be utilized to have the aging population live healthier, productive lives.