The Michael J. Fox Foundation Announces $5 Million to Explore Genetics of Parkinson's Disease in African, East Asian and Indian Populations

NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) announces grants totaling nearly $5 million to three teams expanding genetic research in international Parkinson's disease populations. Genetics has revolutionized disease understanding, measurement and therapeutic development, but most studies to date have included only individuals of European descent. This initiative builds on research in Africa, East Asia and India to better define Parkinson's and point to new treatment options for the millions of people worldwide who live with the disease.

"While the field has made significant strides in genetic research, we know we have much more to learn about the changes in DNA that lead to Parkinson's disease and impact its progression," said MJFF Senior Vice President of Research Programs Brian Fiske, PhD. "This is an all-star initiative with world-class geneticists, clinic networks and study volunteers coming together to paint a global picture of Parkinson's and work toward cures for everyone."

Scientists identified the first genetic mutation associated with Parkinson's in 1997 and have since found more than 80 genetic differences increasing risk for the disease to varying degrees. By studying the cellular effects of these changes, researchers better understand Parkinson's pathology and are developing therapies against it. Drugs designed to target several proteins linked to Parkinson's through genetic discoveries (alpha-synuclein, glucocerebrosidase and LRRK2) are already in clinical trials.

This global Parkinson's genetics program — funded with support from longtime partner the Edmond J. Safra Foundation — seeks to build on that progress, broadening the research landscape with grants to the following projects:

• Africa
  Collaborators will expand an existing registry to establish a network of 4,000 people with Parkinson's and 4,000 control volunteers in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania. Investigators at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, UCL (University College London), and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) will coordinate sample sharing and genetic sequencing through an established partnership in the International Parkinson's Disease Genetics Consortium, a worldwide collaboration devoted to gathering and analyzing Parkinson's genetic data.
• East Asia
  Researchers in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam will leverage existing samples from 6,200 people with Parkinson's and recruit 4,400 control volunteers for genetic sequencing. Also coordinated through the International Parkinson's Disease Genetics Consortium, genetic sequencing will be directed by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, UCL and the NIH.
• India
  An international team including partners at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, the Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biometry at the University of Tübingen in Germany, and academic centers across India plan to gather and analyze data and samples from 10,000 people with Parkinson's and 10,000 control volunteers. This partnership is built out of the existing Luxembourg-German-Indian Alliance on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Therapeutics consortium.

"Parkinson's is a global issue, and we are grateful to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for fostering representation in research," said Njideka Okubadejo, MBChB, Professor of Neurology at the University of Lagos. "We hope this partnership results in greater understanding of disease causes and contributors and leads to new treatments for people living in Africa and beyond."

This global genetics program links The Michael J. Fox Foundation's longstanding support of genetic research projects and its goals to address diversity and inclusivity in clinical studies. The Foundation supports numerous investigations into the genetics of Parkinson's disease and translation of genetic findings into therapeutics addressing individual biology. Additional funded initiatives are developing and testing strategies for engaging underrepresented populations — based on ethnicity, sex and socioeconomic status — in clinical and genetic research.

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $850 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.

For more information, visit us on the web, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

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