5 new genes identified in largest genetic Parkinson's study of its kind

2 February 2011

The largest in-depth study to date of the role that genes may play in the development of Parkinson's has been published today in The Lancet.

We were a major funder of this vital research which has revealed 5 new genes involved in Parkinson's. This shows that genetic factors play a greater role in Parkinson's than previously believed.

The cause of Parkinson's is still unknown. But genetic susceptibility combined with lifestyle, environmental factors and ageing are all thought to be involved.

This exciting new breakthough has attracted widespread media coverage, including articles on BBC News online and in The Telegraph.

5 new genes linked to Parkinson's

Variations in a total of 11 genes were shown in this study to influence genetic susceptibility to Parkinson's - including 5 new genes that were confirmed as having a link to the condition.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that the more of these variations a person had, the greater their risk of Parkinson's.

A global collaboration

Around 5% of people with Parkinson's inherit genes that directly cause the condition. But this new study investigated the role that genetic factors play in the 95% of people with Parkinson's who do not inherit the condition directly.

The international team of researchers from 6 countries included teams from the UK, US, Germany, Holland, Iceland and France.

Together they looked for differences across the entire genome between 12,000 people with Parkinson's and over 21,000 people without the condition.

New leads for Parkinson's research

Professor Nick Wood, who led the UK team at University College London, said:

"This is the largest and most comprehensive study to date of the role that common genetic factors play in Parkinson's.

"Discovering 5 new genes is an exciting step forward and will help us understand more about why and how nerve cells die.

"These findings significantly add to the knowledge base of the increasingly complex picture of the molecules that can cause Parkinson's. We hope that by studying them more closely new research avenues will open up."

Dr Kieran Breen, our Director of Research and Development, adds:

"While these common genetic variations don’t directly cause Parkinson's, they do make people more likely to develop the condition.

"In 2004 Parkinson's UK-funded researchers helped uncover changes in the LRRK2 gene. This is one of the most important genes involved in Parkinson's and studies are looking at whether this may be a target for new drugs.

"In the same way, we hope that the results from this new study will lead to similar advances and help us to move closer towards better treatments, or even a cure for Parkinson's."

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