Laron Dwarfs - Ecuador

August 2008

In the isolated mountains of Ecuador, a community of four-feet tall dwarves appear to be immune from cancer and diabetes. Here, two scientists are on a mission to find the ultimate cure for cancer.
Inbreeding among the small and remote Ecuadorian communities has led to a high percentage of Laron Dwarves. One third of the world's 300 Laron population live in the southern Loja province. "My parents are normal, my grandparents were normal. I have seven siblings, four of them are normal height and three of us are little," says one Laron sufferer. Dr Marco Guevaras and his brother Jaime believe the secret behind the dwarves' apparent immunity lies in the absence of a hormone called "insulin-like growth factor 1 or IGF1". Yet the scientists need to move fast in their research; an expensive treatment has already been discovered to alleviate the symptoms of the syndrome in children.

Category:

News & Politics

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• dwarf
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• ecuador
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• cancer
• medical
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[pinecry]

hope it really opens to finding cure for the dreaded C

[jayjayjay]

That's it, I'm converting to Midgetism!

[elflaco9]

Seems like we are getting closer and closer to finding the cure for cancer... Thanks Ecuador for the great contribution..........

[MTHKITEBOARDS]

Hmmmm I don't see Mcdonalds, Burger king, Taco bell, diet coke looks like they eat fresh food, you think that might have something to do with it too?

[groovysherrie65]

So let me understand this, there is a treatment for this syndrome. Why??? These people are probably healthier than you or I. So, now we need to go and fix something that isn't broken. What we should do is find a way to create this syndrome in the "normal" population. These folks will probably live longer than us!

[1d9]

Laron sy. is an inability to synthesise somatomedin C, while the African pygmy has an inability to respond to somatomedin C, right?

[bellatitus]

okey so imune to diabetes and cancer but prone to obesity ill think ill take some of that please!!!! apart from the average height 4 feet!!!!!!

[msbahari]

There is no treatment for this condition yet! this report is not correct!

[amyrollin]

Ah well, haha good guess I suppose lol. But yeah would make sense to be named after him :)

[JuliatheCoolest]

No, it's named after Zvi Laron, the man who discovered the syndrome.

[amyrollin]

Laron - Larynx...?

Any connections, I wouldn't presume so.. I'm just curious lol x

[JuliatheCoolest]

I just looked that up, that's because Laron Syndrome people are born with a narrow larynx.