A Glimmer of a Cure For Cancer, Diabetes in Laron's Syndrome

By CNCA on Mar 15 2011 | Comments | |

If you've been hoping, working, donating, praying and fighting for a cure for cancer at some point in your life -- do you know anyone who hasn't? -- you may consider the results of this observational study of patients with an incredibly rare genetic disorder that causes dwarfism the beginning of something potentially revolutionary.

Scientists monitored the health of 99 Ecuadoran patients with Laron's syndrome, a mutation in the growth hormone receptor gene that causes dwarfism. To the unbelievably good, however, these fortunate folks also enjoyed an almost free pass from cancer and diabetes. Only one instance of a non-fatal case of cancer and no diagnoses of diabetes were reported over the course of the 22-year study. By comparison, among the 1,600 relatives of Laron's syndrome patients, 17 percent battled cancer and 5 percent developed diabetes over that same time.

The possible key to the Ecuadorans' virtual immunity to diabetes and cancer -- very low levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), a hormone structurally similar to insulin that's produced primarily by the liver -- has been also connected to promoting longevity in living things from yeast and worms to mice. Along those lines, clinical trials are in the planning stage that will treat cancer patients on chemo with existing drugs that decrease IGF levels in hopes of similar success.

Two interesting caveats demonstrate that there are tradeoffs to this near "immunity" to cancer and diabetes, however. For one, even though Laron's syndrome patients sidestepped diabetes, they experienced greater levels of obesity. Lastly, and most importantly, Laron's patients didn't live longer than their relatives: They died from "a lot of strange causes of death," scientist say (accidents and alcohol-related problems).

Learn more about these unique people who may teach us much more about a cure for cancer and diabetes by watching this short news featured filmed for VOANews.com (Voice of America) in 2008.