Researcher seeks clues to aging within our DNA Nov 3, 2008
A researcher at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health, Dr. Opresko studies the basic mechanisms of why cells age, partly by specializing in a rare premature aging malady known as Werner syndrome ... People with Werner syndrome develop baldness, wrinkles, cataracts, osteoporosis and other aging maladies in their teens or early 20s and often die in their 40s ... It turns out, she said, that the genetic location for Werner syndrome may be the same one involved in a link... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
5 things you didn't know about ... Werner syndrome Sep 3, 2008
Werner syndrome : La Crosse Tribune ... Werner syndrome By McClatchy Newspapers ... Diagnosis: There is no specific test to diagnose Werner syndrome. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Movie school Jul 21, 2008
Jack: Robin Williams stellar performance in this film about a boy with Werner syndrome who ages four times faster than normal, was fun to watch despite the inevitable soppy ending. Seeing a hairy middle aged man play in a treehouse and develop a crush on his kindergarten teacher played by pre-J.Lo Jennifer Lopez brought out the inner child in most of us. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Human Aging Gene Found In Flies May 12, 2008
Dr Lynne Cox from the University of Oxford said: "We study a premature human aging disease called Werner syndrome to help us understand normal aging. The key to this disease is that changes in a single gene (called WRN) mean that patients age very quickly. Scientists have made great progress in working out what this gene does in the test tube, but until now we haven t been able to investigate the gene to look at its effect on development and the whole body. By working on this gene in fruit... (Science Daily)
Cell Biology: Assumption Of Function Not Always Correct May 5, 2007
The yeast and human Werner syndrome enzymes helps prevent the buildup of unwanted intermediates of aggregated chromosomes that can actually kill the cells if not unzipped ... One form of the protein does this also in humans, and when this protein is mutated or missing, a premature aging and cancer-predisposition disease called Werner syndrome results. (Science Daily)
Scientists Study Cancer-aging Relationship Feb 8, 2007
The scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies took that step by visualizing chromosomes of cells from patients with a heritable premature aging disease known as Werner Syndrome, which is caused by the loss of the WRN gene. Painting each chromosome pair in a different color revealed the breakage and fusion of chromosomes that causes genomic instability and might explain the high incidence of cancer among individuals with Werner syndrome, the Salk scientists said ... -- showed... (Playfuls.com)
Scientists unlock 'secret of eternal youth' Feb 7, 2007
Patients with a disorder known as Werner Syndrome suffer skin wrinkling, baldness and greying hair in their teens ... Dr Karlseder said: "I predict that cancer in older people has the same basis as that seen in Werner Syndrome patients.". (Manchester Evening News)
