Genetic Storage for Parkinson’s

About the study

For the majority of people with Parkinson’s, the cause of the condition is not well understood, and they have ‘sporadic’ or ‘idiopathic’ Parkinson’s. A small proportion, however, will have a specific genetic variation that increases a person’s risk of developing the condition. This is because these variations affect how well a cell functions. Genes are segments of our DNA (hereditary information) that direct cell activity, most notably in providing the instructions for building proteins. Changes in this genetic code can lead to changes in the associated proteins, making them less efficient or unable to carry out their intended function.

Genetic variations may also affect how someone might respond to a treatment. Therefore, when conducting clinical trials for Parkinson’s, genetic testing can help researchers better understand their results and why certain populations may respond better. Often, participants samples are stored in a biobank – a facility that provides long-term storage for biological samples.

In this project, Professor Huw Morris at University College London (UCL) collected samples from people with Parkinson’s who participated in several UK clinical trials. These samples were genetically sequenced and then stored in a biobank for the principal investigators on participating trials to use for analyses. Other researchers can also apply to access this data for their studies. The objectives of this project were to establish an open access resource for researchers to use to advance our understanding of how genetic risk factors impact Parkinson’s progression and responses to treatment. We are currently waiting on the publication of the results of this project.