A team of scientists, led by Professor Dario Alessi from the University of Dundee, has developed a new way to measure the effect of mutations in LRRK2 – a gene linked to Parkinson's.
The findings, published in the Biochemical Journal, could pave the way to a test for this form of Parkinson's and the ability to develop drugs that target it.
Inherited Parkinson's
A number of genetic changes, or mutations, are known to increase the risk of Parkinson's.
While inheriting one of these genetic changes is rare, accounting for around 5% of Parkinson's, mutations in LRRK2 are one of the most common causes of inherited Parkinson's.
This new discovery could lead us to a new type of treatment that tackles a root cause of Parkinson's rather than mask its symptoms.Dr Beckie Port, Senior Research Communications Officer
Mutations in the LRRK2 gene often cause the resulting protein to be more active than normal.
And scientists believe that reducing the activity of the LRRK2 protein may help people with this form of inherited Parkinson's.
This new research has identified a simple way to measure the activity of LRRK2 indirectly by looking at one of the proteins that LRRK2 interacts with.
The researchers believe this could be turned into a simple test to find people where overactive LRRK2 plays a role in their Parkinson's.
Identifying different types of Parkinson's
Beckie Port, Senior Research Communications Officer at Parkinson's UK, comments:
"Research is uncovering different types of Parkinson's that may respond to treatments in different ways. Understanding this is essential for developing new and better treatments that can slow or stop the progression of Parkinson's.
"Identifying people with LRRK2-related Parkinson's would allow researchers to test new drugs that target this type of the condition.
"While less than 1% of all people with Parkinson's has changes in the LRRK2 gene, the LRRK2 protein may also play a key role in non-inherited Parkinson's.
"This new discovery could lead us to a new type of treatment that tackles a root cause of Parkinson's rather than mask its symptoms."
http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/2-august-2016/research-finds-way-measure-parkinsons-gene-mutation
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