Progeria (also Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome or Hutchinson–Gilford progeroid syndrome; HGPS) is a type of progeroid syndrome. A single gene mutation is responsible for causing progeria. The affected gene, known as lamin A (LMNA), makes a protein necessary for holding the cell nucleus together. When this gene mutates, an abnormal form of lamin A protein called progerin is produced. Progeroid syndromes are a group of diseases that cause individuals to age faster than usual. People born with progeria typically live until their mid- to late-teens or early twenties. Severe cardiovascular complications usually develop by puberty, later on resulting in death.
