How these twins' rare growth disorder could provide the key to preventing cancer

What the report says

BBC World News reports that researchers studying Laron syndrome, a rare inherited growth disorder, believe the condition may offer clues for preventing cancer. The report focuses on Piñas, a town in Ecuador’s southern Andes, where an unusually large number of residents have the syndrome, including twin sisters María Luísa Romero and María del Cisne. People with Laron syndrome cannot properly respond to growth hormone and typically do not grow taller than about 1.2m.

According to the BBC, scientists have observed that people with the syndrome appear to develop cancer and diabetes less often than the wider population. Endocrinologist Dr Jaime Guevara, who has studied the condition in Ecuador for decades, worked with University of Southern California ageing specialist Dr Valter Longo to compare about 100 people with Laron syndrome with roughly 1,600 relatives of normal height from the same villages. Over 22 years, the researchers found no diabetes among the Ecuadorian Laron group and one non-fatal cancer case, while the comparison group had higher rates of both diseases.

The possible explanation centers on low levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, which is linked to growth and may also affect whether cancer cells die. Professor Zvi Laron, the paediatrician after whom the syndrome is named, told the BBC that IGF-1 is likely an important factor, but not the entire answer. He is preparing a paper documenting known cases and genetic variants identified between 1966 and 2025.

The BBC also notes that the condition does not make patients immune: María del Cisne was diagnosed with colon cancer two years ago. Researchers say further work is needed before any drug or diet could safely mimic the syndrome’s protective effects.