PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

11th June 2009 - New research

THE PREVALENCE OF GENETIC PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Annals of Human Genetics [2009] May 21 [ahead of print] (Paisán-Ruiz C, Washecka N, Nath P, Singleton AB, Corder EH.) Complete abstract 

There are a number of genetic forms of Parkinson's Disease that can incline somebody towards Parkinson's Disease rather than inevitably cause it. It has previously been assumed that the number of people with Parkinson's Disease that are genetically inclined towards developing symptoms in this way was relatively small. However, researchers have found that just one of these genetic forms of Parkinson's Disease occurs in a third of people with Parkinson's Disease. Given that there are other genes that can incline somebody towards Parkinson's Disease means that the number of people genetically inclined towards Parkinson's Disease is far more than previously thought. The gene is called LRRK2 (leucine risk repeat kinase 2), which produces a protein called dardarin, a word derived from the Basque word dardara, meaning tremor. Mutations in LRRK2 are a common cause of familial Parkinson’s disease. A combination of four gene variants are found in a third of people with Parkinson’s Disease, but they are infrequent in the general population. This advance is expected to enable the identification of people at the greatest risk of Parkinson's Disease before symptoms arise. For more current news go to Parkinson's Disease News.

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Parkinson's Disease News details all significant new research, news reports, new books, and new resources concerning Parkinson's Disease and those medical disorders that often coincide with Parkinson's Disease. It is compiled from an analysis of  all newly published research, news reports, new clinical trials, all newly published books, and new web sites. A summary and analysis of the new research are provided,  as well as links to the complete abstracts and news reports.