Hunting Down Parkinson's Risks

[Angel]

Mayo Clinic researchers are on the road to a possible genetic contributor to Parkinson's disease.

In a new study, they report people with variations in a certain gene are more susceptible to getting the neurological disease, which causes uncontrollable tremors and can lead to shortened life expectancy.

The authors explain scientists have known mutations in the gene, called the SNCA gene, are a cause of Parkinson's, but the actual mutations only account for about 1 percent of cases. However, most people with the disease do show some abnormalities in the SNCA protein, so common variations in the gene might be contributing to the condition in many more people.

They set out to see if this was true by analyzing genetic variations of SNCA in people with and without Parkinson's disease at 11 sites around the world. About 2,700 people were included in both groups. People with Parkinson's were significantly more likely to have specific genetic variations in the SNCA gene than were people without the disease.

The authors now call for more studies to confirm these findings and see how the SNCA variations might be combining with other factors to contribute to the disease. "Similarly, large-scale collaborations will be required to document interactions of SNCA with other genes or environmental factors conferring susceptibility to Parkinson disease," they write.