Reprogramming of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) from a patient suffering of a Werner syndrome resulting in iPSC line (REGUi003-A) maintaining a short telomere length

Abstract

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare human autosomal recessive disorder characterized by early onset of aging-associated diseases, chromosomal instability, and cancer predisposition, without therapeutic treatment solution. Major clinical symptoms of WS include common age-associated diseases, such as insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. WRN, the gene responsible for the disease, encodes a RECQL-type DNA helicase with a role in telomere metabolism. We derived a stable iPSC line from 53 years old patient's PBMC, with a normal karyotype, but exhibiting a short telomere length, as a major aspect of the cellular phenotype involved in the pathology.