Werner syndrome was first rerported by Dr. Otto Werner at the University of Kiel, Germany, in 1904 while he was a medical student. In his thesis, he dscribed "scleroderma-like" skin and cataracts in a sibship.

What is the clinical symptoms of Werner syndrome?

Werner syndrome (WS) is a recessive inherited disease characterized by genetic instability and agin. Patients exhibit an accelerated development of eseveral major disorders commonly found in older individuals. These include atherosclerosis, bilateral cataracts, cancer, osteoporosis, type II diabetes mellitus and ocular cataracts. Clinical symptoms usually do not appear until patients reach their 20s except for short stature.

What is the life expectancy?

The mean age of death of the patients is in their the late forties. The most frequent cause of death are heart attacks from coronary artery atherosclerosis and cancer.

What is the treatment or cure?

Unfortunately,current technology has yet to find a cure for this disease. Patients are generally treated symptomatically depending on the problems.

What are the gene involved called and if known what proteins do they encode for?

The Werner syndrome gene(WRN) encodes two proteins, 3'->5' DNA helicase in C-terminal and exonucleases N-terminal. Different mutationsv have been found in WRN which affect and eliminate the function and production of these proteins.