Had it not been for “The Elephant Man” Proteus Syndrome may have gone unnoticed. Joseph Merrick had unusually severe form of the disorder. Proteus syndrome causes major deformities in the different systems of the body. Disorder causes unusual growths in the circulatory system, bones and muscle tissue and lymphatic system. The disease is accompanied by massive tumors. The tumors cover almost half of the body. The tumors are so massive that the body becomes incapable to adjust the extra weight and result is either arthritis or the broken bones. John Merrick’s facial tumors became of so much weight that his neck bone got broken in his sleep! A person with the syndrome should have to take extra care to keep the blood thin so as to avoid any obstruction in the circulatory system as the disease results in the various malformations in the veins and arteries.

Why is the renewed interest in the otherwise an old and rare disorder? Scientists are more and more becoming convinced that immune system keeps us alive and the same immune system is culprit behind aging and subsequent death. Skin wrinkles, weakening heart muscle, low stamina can all be seen as autoimmune diseases. Rapamycin [Rapamune (trademark)] is experimented to have increased the life span. Rapamycin’s basic action is to suppress the immune response. The drug basically is an antibiotic but it is given to the transplant patients to suppress the immune system from rejecting the transplanted organ. The same drug is used to cure Proteus Syndrome.

(The article is for information purposes. We are not recommending to use or not to use any medicine)

Proteus Syndrome