Werner syndrome
Last updated 24 Feb 2022
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Werner syndrome is characterised by the dramatic, rapid appearance of features associated with normal aging. Individuals with this disorder typically grow and develop normally until they reach puberty. Affected teenagers usually do not have a growth spurt, resulting in short stature. The characteristic aged appearance of individuals with Werner syndrome typically begins to develop when they are in their twenties and includes graying and loss of hair; a hoarse voice; and thin, hardened skin. They may also have a facial appearance described as "bird-like." Many people with Werner syndrome have thin arms and legs and a thick trunk due to abnormal fat deposition.
Description
Werner syndrome is characterised by the dramatic, rapid appearance of features associated with normal aging. Individuals with this disorder typically grow and develop normally until they reach puberty. Affected teenagers usually do not have a growth spurt, resulting in short stature. The characteristic aged appearance of individuals with Werner syndrome typically begins to develop when they are in their twenties and includes graying and loss of hair; a hoarse voice; and thin, hardened skin. They may also have a facial appearance described as "bird-like." Many people with Werner syndrome have thin arms and legs and a thick trunk due to abnormal fat deposition.
As Werner syndrome progresses, affected individuals may develop disorders of aging early in life, such as cloudy lenses (cataracts) in both eyes, skin ulcers, type 2 diabetes, diminished fertility, severe hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), and some types of cancer. It is not uncommon for affected individuals to develop multiple, rare cancers during their lifetime. People with Werner syndrome usually live into their late forties or early fifties. The most common causes of death are cancer and atherosclerosis.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal recessive. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Adult premature aging syndrome
Adult progeria
Werner's syndrome
Werners syndrome
WS
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Further reading and references
- Werner syndrome; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Huang S, Lee L, Hanson NB, Lenaerts C, Hoehn H, Poot M, Rubin CD, Chen DF, Yang CC, Juch H, Dorn T, Spiegel R, Oral EA, Abid M, Battisti C, Lucci-Cordisco E, Neri G, Steed EH, Kidd A, Isley W, Showalter D, Vittone JL, Konstantinow A, Ring J, Meyer P, Wenger SL, von Herbay A, Wollina U, Schuelke M, Huizenga CR, Leistritz DF, Martin GM, Mian IS, Oshima J. The spectrum of WRN mutations in Werner syndrome patients. Hum Mutat. 2006 Jun;27(6):558-67. doi: 10.1002/humu.20337.
- Kudlow BA, Kennedy BK, Monnat RJ Jr. Werner and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndromes: mechanistic basis of human progeroid diseases. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 May;8(5):394-404. doi: 10.1038/nrm2161.
- Lauper JM, Krause A, Vaughan TL, Monnat RJ Jr. Spectrum and risk of neoplasia in Werner syndrome: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e59709. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059709. Epub 2013 Apr 1.
- Lee JW, Harrigan J, Opresko PL, Bohr VA. Pathways and functions of the Werner syndrome protein. Mech Ageing Dev. 2005 Jan;126(1):79-86. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2004.09.011.
- Maierhofer A, Flunkert J, Oshima J, Martin GM, Poot M, Nanda I, Dittrich M, Muller T, Haaf T. Epigenetic signatures of Werner syndrome occur early in life and are distinct from normal epigenetic aging processes. Aging Cell. 2019 Oct;18(5):e12995. doi: 10.1111/acel.12995. Epub 2019 Jul 1.
- Opresko PL, Calvo JP, von Kobbe C. Role for the Werner syndrome protein in the promotion of tumor cell growth. Mech Ageing Dev. 2007 Jul-Aug;128(7-8):423-36. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2007.05.009. Epub 2007 May 31.
- Oshima J, Hisama FM. Werner Syndrome. 2002 Dec 2 [updated 2026 Mar 25]. In: Adam MP, Bick S, Mirzaa GM, Wallace SE, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews(R) [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2026. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1514/
- Oshima J, Sidorova JM, Monnat RJ Jr. Werner syndrome: Clinical features, pathogenesis and potential therapeutic interventions. Ageing Res Rev. 2017 Jan;33:105-114. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2016.03.002. Epub 2016 Mar 15.
- Shamanna RA, Croteau DL, Lee JH, Bohr VA. Recent Advances in Understanding Werner Syndrome. F1000Res. 2017 Sep 28;6:1779. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.12110.1. eCollection 2017.
- Takemoto M, Mori S, Kuzuya M, Yoshimoto S, Shimamoto A, Igarashi M, Tanaka Y, Miki T, Yokote K. Diagnostic criteria for Werner syndrome based on Japanese nationwide epidemiological survey. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2013 Apr;13(2):475-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2012.00913.x. Epub 2012 Jul 23.
- Yokote K, Chanprasert S, Lee L, Eirich K, Takemoto M, Watanabe A, Koizumi N, Lessel D, Mori T, Hisama FM, Ladd PD, Angle B, Baris H, Cefle K, Palanduz S, Ozturk S, Chateau A, Deguchi K, Easwar TK, Federico A, Fox A, Grebe TA, Hay B, Nampoothiri S, Seiter K, Streeten E, Pina-Aguilar RE, Poke G, Poot M, Posmyk R, Martin GM, Kubisch C, Schindler D, Oshima J. WRN Mutation Update: Mutation Spectrum, Patient Registries, and Translational Prospects. Hum Mutat. 2017 Jan;38(1):7-15. doi: 10.1002/humu.23128. Epub 2016 Oct 7.
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