Jin-Shan Hu is one step closer to discovering the fountain of youth, but he is not relying on expensive beauty creams or Botox injections. Hu, an assistant professor of biochemistry, recently created a 3-D structure of a specific gene fragment that may help scientists understand the aging process and find cures for cancer, heart disease and other age-related conditions.
For the past five years, Hu and his team have studied the gene known as WRN to understand Werner syndrome and other age-related diseases. The syndrome, which is characterized by rapid aging in the late teens or early 20s, is seen in less than one percent of Americans (fewer than 2.97 million). People with Werner usually die from heart disease or cancer in their late 40s.
Scientists know Werner is caused by a dysfunctioning gene, but Hu’s unique approach to the research has furthered their understanding. Hu created the first 3-D structure of the gene, which might show how to fix the dysfunctioning gene and enzymes. Control of the enzymes could lay the groundwork for finding a cure for Werner.
“To know the structure is to understand the function,” Hu said. “That is the approach we use.”
Dr. George M. Martin, a professor at the University of Washington’s International Registry of Werner Syndrome, stressed the importance of structure when studying age-related conditions. While he believes Hu’s research is pertinent to Werner syndrome, he said scientists have a long way to go before they can reverse the aging process altogether.
“Hu’s research is not a direct panacea to understanding the aging process by itself, because the aging that patients with Werner experience differs from usual aging,” Martin said. “However, Hu’s structure will be very helpful and it will be nice to see how it relates to the aging process.”
Hu plans to research other parts of the gene further in hopes of finding more significant answers that could lead to the cure for age-related diseases or reverse the aging process completely.
“If we can try to understand [Werner], we can understand the aging process in general,” Hu said.
Contact reporters Sharahn D. Boykin and Kelly Whittaker at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.
