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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: January 7, 2014
Genetics of Parkinson's disease and biochemical studies of implicated gene products
Peter T Lansbury1, Alexis Brice
1Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. plansbury@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease was thought, until recently, to have little or no genetic component. This notion has changed with the identification of three genes, and the mapping of five others, that are linked to rare familial forms of the disease (FPD). The products of the identified genes, alpha-synuclein (PARK 1), parkin (PARK 2), and ubiquitin-C-hydrolase-L1 (PARK 5) are the subject of intense cell-biological and biochemical studies designed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of FPD pathogenesis. In addition, the complex genetics of idiopathic PD is beginning to be unraveled. Genetic information may prove to be useful in identifying new therapeutic targets and identifying the preclinical phase of PD, allowing treatment to begin sooner.
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