Laron Syndrome: How 100 Villagers In Ecuador Could Hold The Key To Preventing Cancer And Diabetes
These Small Villagers Could Hold The Key To Preventing Cancer And Diabetes
Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK
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A group of Ecuadorian villagers, who suffer from a syndrome which makes them smaller than the average person, could hold the key to preventing illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.
Scientists are observing 100 people from a remote village in Ecuador, as only one of those people has died from cancer in the past 30 years.
What makes this group particularly unusual is that they all suffer from Laron Syndrome, a rare disorder which results in the body's inability to grow. Those who are affected experience slow growth from early childhood.
Researchers - led by Dr Jaime Guevara-Aguirre, who has been studying the Laron population for 30 years - believe the genetic makeup of these people could hold the key to preventing major illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.
They hope to harness the anti-disease properties of Laron Syndrome to create a special pill.
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Maritza Valarezo and her sister Lugartda, both have Laron syndrome
If left untreated, adult males with Laron Syndrome typically grow to around 4.5 feet, meanwhile women can reach up to 4 feet.
One of the villagers being observed in the study, Merci Valarezo, 50, is just 3ft 6" and weighs 127 pounds (just over nine stone).
This puts her firmly in the morbidly obese category, however scientists say that she is "healthy". Her diet is high in carbohydrates and fats but her blood pressure is perfect. She has no sign of diabetes or any other illnesses.
Researchers believe that people with Laron Syndrome have a defect in their growth hormone receptor. This receptor is meant to bind the growth hormone and produce a substance called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
However because the binding doesn't happen in patients with Laron Syndrome, there is no IGF-1.
Dr Valter Longo, a longevity specialist at the University of Southern California, told NBC News that the absence of IGF-1 could prevent cells from mutating and turning into cancer.
It can also make the body extra sensitive to insulin, which may protect against diabetes.
In a study of rats, Dr Longo found that animals with Laron Syndrome lived 50% longer and developed fewer diseases. He now hopes to replicate this finding into a pill which would block IGF-1 in humans.
However he did add that researchers wouldn't know whether the pill worked or not for at least 10 years.
Currently, cancer prevention mainly revolves around changing lifestyle factors. According to the World Health Organisation, "at least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable".
"Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer," WHO adds.
Quitting smoking, exercising, eating healthily and cutting down on alcohol consumption are all advised.
Lifestyle Risk Factors For Cancer
Smoking(01 of11)
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It's no surprise smoking is the number one thing to avoid in order to prevent cancer. It's responsible for 30 per cent of all cancer deaths, and smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer, for example, by nine times. (credit:Hemera Technologies via Getty Images)
Secondhand Smoke(02 of11)
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Even if you don't smoke, you can be affected by those around you. People who are near smoking are 1.4 times more likely to get lung cancer than others. (credit:CMSP via Getty Images)
Excess Body Weight(03 of11)
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Not having a healthy body weight (defined generally as a BMI of lower than 25) can increase your risk for a variety of cancers, including esophageal, uterine, liver, kidney, pancreatic, breast and colorectal cancer. (credit:bowie15 via Getty Images)
How You Eat(04 of11)
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It's a big yes for veggies and fruit, as well as fibre, but red and processed meat is what you want to avoid. While eating lots of fibre, for example, can help reduce colorectal cancer risk, eating the meats can increase it. (credit:Maximilian Stock Ltd. via Getty Images)
Drinking(05 of11)
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Drinking any type of alcohol — at all — increases your risk for head/neck, esophageal, colorectal, breast and liver cancer (and potentially pancreatic too). You can decrease the risk by keeping your alcohol use confined to one drink a day for women, and two for men. (credit:Roy Mehta via Getty Images)
Physical Activity(06 of11)
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Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day is what you should be aiming for. Otherwise, you're at risk for colorectal cancer and could be setting yourself up for lung, uterine and breast cancer. (credit:Brent Winebrenner via Getty Images)
How Much You Sit(07 of11)
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We've heard about many ways in which sitting is bad for your health, but this could be the scariest one. Sitting too much (which is different from having physical activity) can increase your risk for colorectal, uterine, ovarian and prostate cancer. (credit:Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
UV Radiation(08 of11)
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Any type of tanning increases your risk for skin cancer — up to 64 per cent more for squamous cell carcinoma. (credit:Bruce Yuanyue Bi via Getty Images)
Viruses(09 of11)
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Hepatitis B and HPV both increase the risk for cancer, but there are vaccines that can help prevent them. (credit:Martin Botvidsson via Getty Images)
Radon(10 of11)
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The presence of radon gas is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer — test your home to see if it's there. (credit:Zirafek via Getty Images)
Hormones(11 of11)
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This one is a double-edged sword. For women taking HRT post-menopause, it can increase the risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, but may help decrease the risk for colorectal cancer. Birth control pills, meanwhile, have been associated with an increased risk for breast, cervical and liver cancer, but a decreased risk for uterine and ovarian cancer. If you're concerned, talk to your doctor about options. (credit:Stephan Zabel via Getty Images)