麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Higher-than-expected rate of gene mutations seen in Parkinson's patients

(Pexels/Pexabay) (Pexels/Pexabay)
Share

A higher-than-expected prevalence of gene mutations in Parkinson鈥檚 disease patients suggests genetic testing should be offered to them more broadly, researchers said on Monday in the medical journal Brain.

Genetic profiling performed on more than 8,000 patients of varying races and ethnicities, all with Parkinson's disease, showed 13 per cent had a genetic form of the progressive brain disorder, the researchers found.

That rate was 18 per cent in patients with known risk factors, such as an earlier age at onset, Parkinson鈥檚 disease in a first-degree relative, or certain ancestry such as Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish Basque or North African Berber.

Among patients with no known risk factors, more than 9 per cent had a predisposing genetic mutation.

With new gene-specific drugs for the disease entering the research pipeline, the implications of the findings are significant, the researchers said.

Previous studies had suggested that about 5 per cent to 10 per cent of Parkinson鈥檚 disease cases were linked with genetic variants 鈥 and most of those studies had been limited to patients with known risk factors.

Presently, only a small fraction of people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease receive genetic testing, largely because neurologists are uncomfortable with their knowledge of Parkinson鈥檚 disease genetics, access to genetic counsellors is limited, and the identification of a genetic basis has been unlikely to impact a patient鈥檚 treatment, said James Beck, senior vice president and chief scientific officer of the Parkinson鈥檚 Foundation, the study鈥檚 sponsor.

But with recent advances, doctors 鈥渁re now on the cusp of figuring out how to treat patients based on genetics,鈥 Beck said.

With trials of gene-specific treatments underway, and genetic results potentially impacting disease prognosis and shedding light on familial risks, clinical genetic testing should be offered to everyone with Parkinson鈥檚 disease, the research team concluded.

(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; editing by Stephen Coates)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

How to win the fight with kids over phone use

The end of the day 鈥 when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done 鈥 is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.