Syndrome X

The case of a 20-year-old person who retains the 4-year-old girl's figure could help isolate the gene that triggers rejuvenation, thereby opening up the prospect of studying the source of youth.

World experts call Brooke Greenberg a meaty Peter Pan, but if Peter Pan is a boy, Greenberg is a little girl who never grows up. When she was 4 years old, she stopped developing both physically and mentally, as if she was blown up in the form and wisdom of a child until death. Two weeks ago, Greenberg died at the age of 20 after a summer illness, while weight remained at 7.7kg as it was 16 years ago. For most of her short life, she became the object of scientific research, in an attempt to decipher the mystery of this never-ending situation. They only know that it is called X syndrome , and everyone is confused about the cause of the disease, according to ABC News.

Greenberg at age 20 (left) and sister - (Photo: Reuters)

Greenberg, born in Baltimore, Maryland, in January 1993. From birth, she has many diseases such as complications, strokes, breathing difficulties, hip joints . and the situation continued for many years later. However, experts hope that if you find and isolate the gene that causes senility , Greenberg can hold the key to relieve one of mankind's oldest efforts - slow or stop it must be aging with age. According to Indepdent, Greenberg's genome is being studied with another group of children who also have X syndrome, in hopes of understanding the mechanism of the outbreak of the syndrome, thereby creating a breakthrough in the medical industry.

Dr. Eric Schadt, Director of the Gene Institute and Multi-level Biology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, was entrusted by the Greenberg family with DNA and blood samples to create stem cells for research. Save her genetic structure.'Understanding the cause of Greenberg's status can help to gather effective tools to study aging, leading to measures to increase life expectancy and reduce age-related disorders. ' , according to Dr. Schadt. He decoded Greenberg's genetic sequence, as well as her parents and her three siblings, which normally developed. 'Thus, we grasp some of the specific mutations in Greenberg's case, which helps explain the state of the subject,' Dr. Schadt adds. However, the function of potential genes, in particular three genes that have never been discovered in the previous world community, has not yet been completely decoded, and experts have not identified their relationship. For the development of the body and the aging process.

Even so, researchers are still hopeful about being able to connect identified gene mutations to X syndrome. Another scientist also studied Greenberg's condition, Dr. Richard Walker of Children's Hospital. St Petersburg, Florida, said the breakthrough discovery could reveal the genetic process of the disease, thus providing data to help treat aging-related diseases, including cancer. letter. Dr. Schadt said that in the future may encourage a weaker version of X syndrome, but in a positive direction like reducing the rate of aging without causing any other health problems.