BLACK DAY in the medical world! The famous researcher died

Sammy Basso, an Italian scientist known for his contributions to raising awareness of progeria, has died aged 28. Progeria is a rare disease that causes premature aging, and Basso was diagnosed with the condition, which he studied and spoke about often in scientific and public circles.

The announcement of his death was made on social networks, and was picked up by several media sources, including EFE. Basso was a dedicated activist and inspired many people with his story, highlighting the challenges faced by people affected by progeria and promoting research in this field.

“Today, our light, our guide, has gone out. Thank you, Sammy, for including us in this wonderful life,” announced the association he founded to raise awareness of progeria and to raise funds for scientific purposes.

Basso died suddenly on Saturday night while having dinner in a restaurant in Treviso, Italy, days after returning from a trip to China, reports Agerpres.

Progeria is an extremely rare genetic disease

Born in 1995 in Schio (north), he was diagnosed at the age of two with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria, an extremely rare genetic disease that causes premature and accelerated aging and affects only 1 in 20 million people.

Sammy Basso dedicated his life to the research of the syndrome with which he was diagnosed, and in 2018 he graduated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Padua (north) with a thesis on possible therapies to slow down the evolution of the disease.

In 2005, he founded with his parents, but on his own initiative, although he was still a child, the Italian Association for Progeria Sammy Basso, with the aim of supporting research and raising funds for scientific studies.

Basso gained international notoriety thanks to his multiple media appearances, raising public awareness of his syndrome, and starred in a well-known National Geographic documentary about a trip across the United States.

In 2019, he underwent surgery for an aortic problem, a first for a progeria patient. Shortly thereafter, he received the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, awarded by President Sergio Mattarella.

In 2021, Sammy Basso specialized in molecular biology at the University of Padua. The Italian minister for disabled people, Alessandra Locatelli, thanked Sammy for his “courage and determination to make progeria known to the world”, with “strength and hope”.