The man who has unbreakable bones

TIMOTHY DREYER could be a character in a superhero movie – but may well be a real-life saviour thanks to his special ‘power’.

The 26-year-old South African has a condition called sclerosteosis, which means his bones are so dense he could walk away from accidents that leave others with broken limbs.

Now the gene which gives Tim his thick bones is being studied by UK biologists trying to develop a drug for osteoporosis – brittle bones – which affects three million people in the UK. A team led by structural biologist Dr Alistair Henry at Sloughbased drugs company UCB is looking at the genes controlling bone growth in people with sclerosteosis, to develop a drug which is now being tested on humans. Dr Henry said: ‘The data we’ve collected so far is very promising. We’re in the process of latestage clinical development for a new medicine.’