‘…Re-written in the skin’ – Clues to skin biology and aging from inherited disease

The growing diversity of heritable skin diseases, a practical challenge to clinicians and dermatonosologists alike, has nonetheless served as a rich source of insight into skin biology and disease mechanisms. I summarize below some key insights from the recent gene-driven phase of research on Werner syndrome, a heritable adult progeroid syndrome with prominent dermatologic features, constitutional genomic instability and an elevated risk of cancer. I also indicate how new insights into skin biology, disease and aging may come from unexpected sources.