American scientists have discovered genetic links between inflammatory bowel disease and Parkinson’s. The discovery is important as it could lead to new treatments and common therapeutic strategies to target both conditions.
The team from the Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York used advanced genomic analysis techniques to investigate the genetic overlap between the two diseases.
The findings point to mutations in the LRRK2 gene as a common element in both conditions and identify new genes that are likely to be affected in individuals suffering from both diseases, as reported in a study published in the journal Genome Medicine.
"We found that inflammatory bowel disease and Parkinson's are caused by certain common genetic factors, including variants in LRRK2 and other genes previously unknown for this combined condition. This could dramatically change our approach to these diseases, allowing therapies to simultaneously target both conditions," said Dr. Meltem Ece Kars, a postdoctoral researcher at the Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, in a statement.
"Our research not only links these two diseases genetically but also paves the way for new forms of treatment and, eventually, prevention strategies that could reduce the burden of these diseases on patients," added the scientist.