MDS 2021 | Characterizing PD genetics in Latin America: findings of the first ever GWAS

Ignacio Mata, PhD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, shares the findings of the first genome wide association study (GWAS) to be conducted in Latin American patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study used data from the LARGE-PD (The Latin American Research consortium on the GEnetics of Parkinson’s Disease) initiative, established in 2006 to address the lack of diversity in PD genetic research. Approximately 1500 patients with PD and controls were included in the analysis which aimed to compare the genetic architecture of PD in Latin American populations to European populations. A replication cohort of over 1200 Latino PD cases and 400,000 controls was also studied. The study identified SNCA as a top candidate gene in both the discovery and replication cohorts. Admixture mapping also identified several novel risk loci that warrant further study. This interview took place during the 2021 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.