LRRK2 and GBA
RESEARCH
LRRK2 and GBA
THE MICHAEL J . FOX FOUNDATION 2023 YEAR IN REVIEW
Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 ( LRRK2 ) gene and glucocerebrosidase ( GBA ) gene are the most commonly known genetic variations linked to PD . Both are important therapeutic targets for therapies that could slow or stop disease progression : Evidence suggests that drugs targeting LRRK2 could benefit both
New Genetic Variant Shown to Increase Parkinson ’ s Risk among People of African Descent
In recent years , GBA has been an area of increased research and a promising target for therapies that could slow or stop disease progression . Now , analysis of DNA from a cohort of more than 1,400 people of African descent with Parkinson ’ s has revealed a specific genetic change in GBA that appears to increase the risk of Parkinson ’ s exclusively in people of African and mixed African descent .
The newly identified GBA variant — reported in The Lancet Neurology in August — was discovered by researchers in the Global Parkinson ’ s Genetics Program ( GP2 ) and carried out in a partnership between MJFF and the Aligning Science Across Parkinson ’ s ( ASAP ) initiative . GP2 is working to genotype hundreds of thousands of individuals with Parkinson ’ s around the world , an effort that is dramatically expanding understanding of Parkinson ’ s genetics , which has traditionally been studied primarily in individuals of European descent .
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