A groundbreaking study involving nearly 198,000 participants of African descent has discovered a gene variant linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Published in The Lancet Neurology, the study suggests that the variant in the gene encoding β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) may contribute to the risk.
Those who carry one copy of the gene are about 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson’s, and those with two copies are about 3.5 times more likely.
Global Collaboration
The study was a joint effort led by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), University College London, and the University of Lagos in Nigeria.
They collaborated with multiple international organizations, including the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) and used data primarily from Nigeria and four sites in the United States.
Genetic Diversity in Disease
“This study supports the idea that the genetic basis for a common disease can differ by ancestry,” said Andrew B. Singleton, Ph.D., a study author.
This marks a significant step towards understanding the diverse genetic drivers and risk factors for Parkinson’s disease, as most prior studies focused primarily on people of European descent.
A Surprise Finding
The researchers initially aimed to train GP2 researchers on how to analyze genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, but stumbled upon the GBA1 gene variant’s significant association with Parkinson’s disease risk.
The variant was found to be almost exclusive to people of African ancestry.
What This Means
This discovery could have broad implications for the understanding and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, as well as for the study of Gaucher’s disease, another condition affected by the GBA1 gene.
The Next Steps
“The results represent a good first step towards fully understanding the genetic and biological complexity of Parkinson’s disease in each individual,” said Singleton.
Researchers are keen to explore further how this new variant may change cellular activity and contribute to disease pathology.
A Wider Impact
Parkinson’s disease affects over 8.5 million people globally. This study shines a light on the need for more comprehensive research involving diverse populations, which could lead to more effective therapies tailored to individual genetic profiles.
For patients and healthcare providers, this study emphasizes the importance of genetic screening and personalized medicine in the management and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about Vitamin E that may help prevent Parkinson’s disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with Parkinson’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease, and results showing COVID-19 may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The study was published in The Lancet Neurology.
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