It is believed that some of her genes could have helped her live to the age of 115 and also helped to preserve her mental acuity. The precise function of these differences in her genes are not yet defined, but it is believed that they have to deal with helping to prevent dementia and other diseases that are associated with old age. This leads to the belief that there are genes that lead to long life and decreased risk of diseases associated with old age, such as Alzheimer’s. It is astonishing that this woman was born prematurely and expected to die as a result. However, she did meet her end at the hands of a stomach tumor and was also treated for breast cancer at the age of 100.
I find it to be a great discovery towards the key to longer life and defense against the diseases of old age. Alzheimer’s and diseases like it are some of the most crippling diseases today and if genetics can help the fight against these diseases I feel that it would be a great accomplishment. More genomes should be mapped in order to move forward in the fight against these diseases.
Wow, what an incredible woman! That's fantastic that she donated her body to science. I hope that they find something that will help towards the cure of Alzheimer's. I unfortunately had a grandfather who passed away from the disease. It would be awesome if so many others could benefit from this woman's donation.
ReplyDeleteI agree! For someone to live that long and experience two different kinds of cancer is remarkable! There is so much information waiting to be uncovered from her genes! Along with a possible cure for Alzheimer's and longevity, hopefully they can be another step closer to a cure for both breast cancer and the stomach cancer that ultimately led to her passing.
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