Six Newly Discovered Gene Variants Reveal more about the Risks of Parkinson's Disease

Researchers at the National Institute on Aging have discovered six new genetic risk factors connected to Parkinson's disease--a progressive disorder of the nervous system that disrupts movement and that's typically seen in older individuals. 

For their research, the study authors collected and combined data from an existing genome-wide association of studies that allowed scientists to find common variants including subtle differences in genetic codes from a large sample of study participants. The data consisted of about 13,708 Parkinson's disease cases and 95,208 controls, all of European ancestry.

"Unraveling the genetic underpinnings of Parkinson's is vital to understanding the multiple mechanisms involved in this complex disease, and hopefully, may one day lead to effective therapies," said Andrew Singleton, Ph.D., a scientist at the NIH's National Institute on Aging (NIA) and senior author of the study, in a news release.

By using a state-of-the-art gene chip called NeuroX, researchers confirmed 24 variants that represent genetic risk factors for the disease. Furthermore, they found six variants that had not been previously identified. The study results suggest that the more genetic variants a person has, the greater his or her risk for the health issue. 

"The study brought together a large international group of investigators from both public and private institutions who were interested in sharing data to accelerate the discovery of genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease," added Margaret Sutherland, Ph.D., a program director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of NIH. "The advantage of this collaborative approach is highlighted in the identification of pathways and gene networks that may significantly increase our understanding of Parkinson's disease."

Some of the newly identified genetic risk factors are thought to be connected to Gaucher's disease--a health issue where lipid substances accumulate in the cells and certain organs of the body. However, future research is needed to determine a more specific role of the variants. 

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Nature Genetics.