Progeria: Racing the clock to help young patients with old hearts

Biologists used induced plenipotent stem cell technology to discover a destructive cellular process in progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes premature aging. Patients die in their teens of heart disease or stroke. Researchers discovered that progerin, a toxic protein, causes smooth muscle cells in patients' arteries to self-destruct. The finding speeds testing of progeria treatments and could shed light on normal aging.