9 Celebrities with Heart Disease
Understanding Parkinson's Disease: Study Highlights Role Of Genetic Variants And Pesticide Exposure
Uncovering the enrichment of rare variants in genes associated with lysosomal function. The study conducted by UCLA Health sheds light on the intricate relationship between genetic variants, pesticide exposure, and Parkinson's disease susceptibility.Decades of research have established a link between pesticide exposure and the risk of Parkinson's disease. However, understanding why some individuals develop the disease while others do not has remained a challenge. A recent study from UCLA Health delves into the genetic factors that may contribute to this susceptibility. The study, published in NPJ Parkinson's Disease, focuses on the interplay between genetic variants and long-term pesticide exposure. Researchers analyzed genetic data from nearly 800 individuals in California's Central Valley, a region known for its agricultural activity and pesticide use. Many of the participants had extensive exposure to pesticides used on cotton crops, dating back to 1974.
Lysosomal Function: A Key PlayerThe researchers honed in on genetic variants associated with the function of lysosomes, cellular compartments crucial for waste breakdown. Alterations in lysosomal activity have been implicated in Parkinson's disease development. The study found an enrichment of rare variants in lysosomal-related genes among patients with severe Parkinson's disease and high pesticide exposure.
Impact On Protein FunctionThese genetic variants were found to be deleterious to protein function, suggesting a potential mechanism linking pesticide exposure, lysosomal dysfunction, and Parkinson's disease. Disruption of lysosomal activity may impair the cell's ability to break down toxic compounds, leading to the accumulation of proteins like alpha-synuclein, a hallmark of Parkinson's disease pathology.
Unveiling Gene-Environment InteractionsLead author Dr. Brent Fogel highlights the concept of gene-environment interactions, where minor genetic changes may predispose individuals to disease under specific environmental stressors, such as pesticide exposure. This study underscores the importance of understanding how genetic susceptibility interacts with environmental factors in disease development.
Future DirectionsThe findings underscore the complexity of Parkinson's disease etiology and raise questions about other genetic variants and biological pathways involved. Dr. Kimberly Paul emphasizes the need for further exploration into genetic susceptibility and environmental influences to identify at-risk individuals and potential therapeutic targets.
Advancing Disease UnderstandingDr. Fogel emphasizes the significance of this study in advancing our understanding of gene-environment interactions and their role in disease development. By unraveling the genetic underpinnings of Parkinson's disease susceptibility, researchers aim to pave the way for targeted interventions and personalized approaches to disease prevention and management.
ConclusionThe study conducted by UCLA Health sheds light on the intricate relationship between genetic variants, pesticide exposure, and Parkinson's disease susceptibility. By uncovering the enrichment of rare variants in genes associated with lysosomal function among individuals with high pesticide exposure and severe Parkinson's disease, the research provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of disease development.
Don't Miss Out on the Latest Updates.Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today!
Subscribe Now
Genetic Variants May Amplify Parkinson's Risks — But How?
Potential connections between genetic variants and pesticide exposure raise questions about additional gene-pesticide interactions as revealed by a new UCLA Health study (1✔ ✔Trusted SourceLysosomal genes contribute to Parkinson's disease near agriculture with high intensity pesticide useGo to source). It was shown that the risk of Parkinsons disease could be increased by genetic variants as a result of long-term pesticide exposure. While decades of research have linked pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease risk, researchers have sought to explain why some individuals with high exposure develop the disease while others do not. 'Did You Know?Men are around 1.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than women. #parkinsonsdisease #gene #pesticide' One longstanding hypothesis has been that susceptibility to the disease is a combination of both environmental and genetic factors.The new study, published in the journal NPJ Parkinson's Disease, used genetic data from nearly 800 Central Valley (California) residents with Parkinson's disease, many of whom had long-term exposure to 10 pesticides used on cotton crops for at least a decade before developing the disease, with some patients having been exposed as far back as 1974.
They examined their genetic makeup for rare variants in genes associated with the function of lysosomes, cellular compartments that break down waste and debris, thought to be associated with the development of Parkinson's disease, and looked for enrichment of variants in patients with high exposure to pesticide use compared to a representative sample of the general population.
Researchers found that variants in these genes were enriched in patients with more severe Parkinson's disease who also had higher exposure to pesticides.These genetic variants also appeared to be deleterious to protein function suggesting that disruption of lysosomal activity may be underlying the development of Parkinson's disease combined with pesticide exposure.
Advertisement
Dr. Brent Fogel, the study's corresponding author, and professor of Neurology and Human Genetics, said while the specific interactions between pesticides and the expression of these genetic variants require further study, the results suggest that in someone with such variants, long-term exposure to cotton pesticides could lead to the buildup of toxic compounds, due to alterations of the cells' ability to break down damaged proteins and organelles -- a process known as autophagy – and thus lead to Parkinson's disease. Previous studies have shown that altered autophagy can result in a buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein, which is abundant in the brain and neurons.Advertisement
As the protein builds up, it forms clumps known as "Lewy" bodies that are a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease."The study supports the hypothesis that the genetic predisposition comes from minor changes in genes that are associated with lysosomal function," Fogel said.
"On a day-to-day basis, these variants are not having much of an impact. But under the right stress, such as exposure to certain pesticides, they can fail and that could, over time, lead to the development of Parkinson's disease. This is called a gene-environment interaction."
The findings build on decades of research by UCLA Health investigators Drs. Jeff Bronstein and Beate Ritz into the associations between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease risk in the Central Valley.
The study's co-lead author and assistant professor of Neurology at UCLA, Dr. Kimberly Paul, said Parkinson's disease is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease in the world.
While an increase in the number of new patients is expected given the large aging population in the U.S., the rate of new Parkinson's disease patients is outpacing the rate that is expected from aging alone, Paul said.
Paul said the findings of the new study raise the question of whether there are other genetic variants that may be altering the susceptibility to Parkinson's disease among this population, including other biological pathways affected by different types of pesticides.
"These patients were susceptible somehow and if we can figure out why they were susceptible, maybe we can act on those pathways," Paul said.
"There are data for a lot of common disorders suggesting that environmental influences impact the development of these diseases, but we don't yet have a good way of measuring that impact or determining who is specifically at risk," Fogel said.
"This is a step forward in that direction."
Reference:
Parkinson's News
Mar. 14, 2024 — Researchers uncovered the mechanistic details behind how several proteins interact to help cells recognize and remove damaged mitochondria. Optineurin (OPTN) and its interactions are needed to ...
Jan. 2, 2024 — A previously unidentified genetic mutation in a small protein provides significant protection against Parkinson's disease and offers a new direction for exploring potential treatments, according ...
Dec. 5, 2023 — A new organoid model of the dopaminergic system sheds lights on its intricate functionality and potential implications for Parkinson's disease. The model replicates the dopaminergic ...
Dec. 5, 2023 — The future treatment of Parkinson's Disease has undergone tremendous development in recent years. Now, a breakthrough in research has emerged, delivering the strongest results for both ...
Nov. 17, 2023 — Nanoplastics interact with a particular protein that is naturally found in the brain, creating changes linked to Parkinson's disease and some types of ...
Nov. 6, 2023 — Researchers have identified a new neural circuit in the brain which produces a strong sense of discomfort when activated. The discovery also allows them to show for the first time that the ...
Oct. 2, 2023 — A significant breakthrough sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of Parkinson's disease, offering the potential for innovative treatments in the ...
Sep. 28, 2023 — Disturbances in sleep patterns and the internal biological clock are frequently associated with Parkinson's disease. However, the link between biological rhythm and neuronal degeneration remains ...
Sep. 28, 2023 — In Parkinson's disease, the cerebral cortex can take over tasks from a deeper part of the brain that has been damaged, where cells that make dopamine have been lost. The strength of compensation ...
Sep. 18, 2023 — Is it possible that a single biomarker can detect all types of diseases related to dopamine deficiency in the brain? Yes, that's what a research group is discovering. 'We have observed that ...
Sep. 18, 2023 — Researchers are gaining new insights into neurological diseases by studying circular RNAs (circRNAs) in brain cells. A new study has identified over 11,000 distinct RNA circles that characterized ...
Sep. 15, 2023 — A new study challenges a common belief in what triggers Parkinson's disease. Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons is widely accepted as the first event that leads to Parkinson's. But the ...
Sep. 11, 2023 — Researchers have identified a new pathological mechanism for a familial type of Parkinson's disease caused by a mutation in the CHCHD2 gene. Mutant CHCHD2 protein is mislocalized in cells and ...
Sep. 7, 2023 — A new artificial intelligence tool can help people with Parkinson's disease remotely assess the severity of their symptoms within minutes. While expert neurologists performed slightly better ...
Aug. 30, 2023 — Researchers have developed a blood test that detects Parkinson's disease, potentially establishing a way to help diagnose the condition before nervous system damage worsens. A new blood-based ...
Aug. 22, 2023 — Many researchers believe that the neurodegenerative disorder gets started in the gut. Research now suggests that an autoimmune reaction may be driving those early ...
Aug. 11, 2023 — Identification of risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) is essential for early diagnosis. Dating back to the 1920s, Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism -- an umbrella term that refers ...
Aug. 9, 2023 — In Parkinson's disease, growing evidence targets neuroinflammation as essential for brain pathogenesis. But which group of immune cells that reside in the brain direct this inflammatory ...
Aug. 3, 2023 — Although there is a long-standing, common assumption that most -- if not all -- dopamine neurons solely respond to rewards or reward-predicting cues, researchers instead discovered that one genetic ...
July 27, 2023 — A group of nerve cells in the brain has the remarkable ability to completely stop all forms of movement, a new mouse study shows. The discovery provides valuable insight into how the nervous system ...
Comments
Post a Comment