A gene variant found almost exclusively in the genomes of people of African ancestry increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to an international study of nearly 198,000 participants with this genetic background. Published in The Lancet Neurology, the study results suggest the risk may be linked to a variant in the gene encoding β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA1), a protein known to control how cells in the body recycle proteins.
Scientists discovered a gene variant, found almost exclusively in the genomes of individuals of African ancestry, that increases the risk of having Parkinson's disease. Credit: Image created with BioRender.com courtesy of Singleton lab, NIH CARD, Bethesda, MD.
"To effectively treat Parkinson's and truly any disease, we must study diverse populations to fully understand what the drivers and risk factors are for these disorders," said Andrew B. Singleton, Ph.D., director, NIH Intramural Center for Alzheimer's Related Dementias and a study author.
NIH scientists worked with researchers from around the world who are part of the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program , including the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Study and the International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium —Africa.from individuals primarily from Nigeria and four sites across the United States.
Further analysis of this study's GWAS data suggested that the risk associated with the GBA1 variant is additive.
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