( rongfamily history could lead to earl...)Scientists detect probable genetic cause of some Parkinson's disease cases

rong family history, could lead to earlier detection of Parkinson's disease. Further study of how this gene works also might help scientists identify new treatments." In addition to Dr. Singleton, the collaborative work was spearheaded by William C. Nichols, Ph.D., of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Tatiana Foroud, Ph.D., of Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, and Nicholas W. Wood, M.D., of the Institute of Neurology in London. The NIA and the NINDS are part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Singleton and his colleagues recently discovered LRRK2, a gene that encodes a protein named dardarin by the researchers from the Basque word dardara, which means tremor, a major symptom of Parkinson's disease. It was isolated on a region of chromosome 12 called PARK8 by investigators who studied five families with a history of Parkinson's disease who lived in the Basque region of Spain and in England. In these new studies, the researchers sought to determine the prevalence of the genetic mutation in other families and individuals being studied by the Parkinson's Study Group with NINDS support. In an analysis of 358 families with a history of Parkinson's disease, for instance, the investigators found that 34 of the 767 people who had inherited the disease had at least one copy of the mutated gene. Similarly, the team detected one copy of the mutation in 8 of 482 people with Parkinson's disease, but who didn't report a family history of the disease. The Parkinson's Study Group is a non-profit, cooperative group of Parkinson's disease experts from 59 medical centers in the United States and Canada who are dedicated to improving treatment for people affected by Parkinson's disease. "NINDS is pleased to have supported the collection of this large group of families and sibling pairs, which is proving to be an invaluable resource for these studies," says Diane Murphy, Ph.D., a program director at NINDS. "Because
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Source:Eurekalert


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