Matrix Genomics, Elizabeth Corder, PhD - Gene Variation in the LRRK2 Gene and High Risk for Parkinson&apos...( Researchers ...)

Researchers at the National Institute on Aging, University College London, and Matrix Genomics, Inc. have identified a concise genetic signature found among a third of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients - but at very low frequency in the general population. The signature is found in the LRRK2 gene located on chromosome 12. The work was led by Elizabeth Corder, PhD, Scientific director at Matrix Genomics, Inc.

(PRWEB) June 5, 2009 -- Researchers at the National Institute on Aging, University College London, and Matrix Genomics, Inc. have identified a concise genetic signature found among a third of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients - but at very low frequency in the general population. The signature is found in the LRRK2 gene located on chromosome 12. The work was led by Elizabeth H. Corder, PhD, Scientific Director at Matrix Genomics.

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the Western world, and a major cause of disability and distress among older Americans. Family studies have long indicated that Parkinson's is a genetic disorder when certain mutations are inherited. However, specific genetic factors relevant to the general population have been elusive.

The PD gene is called leucine risk repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), which encodes a protein called dardarin, derived from the Basque word dardara, meaning tremor. Mutations in LRRK2 are a common cause of familial Parkinson's disease.

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