Prof Laron to Publish 1966-2025 Mutation Census of 840 Laron Syndrome Cases
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 17
Prof Laron to Publish 1966-2025 Mutation Census of 840 Laron Syndrome Cases
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 17
Summary
Later in July, Prof Zvi Laron plans to publish the first paper to tally all known Laron syndrome mutation cases and variants identified worldwide from 1966 to 2025.
The census matters because researchers see the rare growth disorder as a clue to cancer prevention: in a 22-year Ecuador study of about 100 patients, they found no diabetes and only one non-fatal cancer case.
Among roughly 1,600 relatives of normal height in the same villages, 5% developed diabetes and 17% developed cancer, pointing researchers toward the role of disrupted growth-hormone signaling and low IGF-1.
Most of the world's 840 known cases live in southern Ecuador, especially around Piñas, where families have helped drive decades of research even as patients still face stigma, rare exceptions such as colon cancer, and costly treatment access.
Increlex can increase height if given during childhood, but it costs more than $800 a bottle and at least three bottles a month, leaving some children in Ecuador still waiting to start therapy.