Werner syndrome

Werner syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the appearance of premature aging. Affected people display premature graying and hair loss, cataracts, wrinkled skin, short stature and reduced fertility, with common complications including cardiovascular disease, bone loss and increased cancer risk. It is caused by mutations in the WRN gene on chromosome 8, which disrupt DNA repair mechanisms, so that without a working WRN protein cells accumulate damage over time. German ophthalmologist Otto Werner first identified the condition in 1904 after observing it in four siblings, and the term Werner syndrome was formally established between 1934 and 1941.