In the News...
Landmark Publications Feature the Work of Dr. Paymemi and Collaborators
Connecting Parkinson's disease (PD) to a gene that protects the body against infections and prevents it from turning on itself and another gene that conducts nerve signaling that may be boosted by heavy coffee drinking are two breakthroughs of a research team headed by the Wadsworth Center's Dr. Haydeh Payami bringing scientists closer to understanding this devastating disease.
The two major genetic findings were rooted in the work of the NeuroGenetics Research Consortium (NGRC) of which Dr. Payami is the lead investigator. NGRC includes investigators at seven academic institutions, two federal agencies, one state agency and a nonprofit organization. The consortium works with eight neurology clinics in four U.S. states and 6,000 research volunteers.
Last year, the international team of NGRC health researchers used their data to identify a link between PD and the gene HLA-DR, which plays a role in the body's immune system. The finding suggests the disease may have an autoimmune or infectious origin and is encouraging researchers to take a fresh look at the role autoimmunity, inflammation or infection may play in the development of PD.The study, Common Genetic Variation in the HLA Region is Associated with Late-onset Sporadic Parkinson's disease, was published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. In the study, one million genetic markers were analyzed for each of the 4,000 research subjects to find genes that may be linked to PD.
In another step towards more fully understanding PD, the research consortium found a connection between a specific gene and an environmental factor – a lifestyle habit – that may influence the development of PD in some individuals. The paper, entitled Genome-Wide Gene-Environment Study Identifies Glutamate Receptor Gene GRIN2A as a Parkinson’s Disease Modifier Gene via Interaction with Coffee was recently published in PLOS Genetics.
Amazingly, variation in a single gene, GRIN2A, rose to statistical significance between persons with PD and controls identified as heavy coffee drinkers. The study showed that a subset of people with a certain GRIN2A genotype benefit substantially from the protective effect of coffee, whereas people with the other genotypes experience little or no beneficial effect.
It was known that, on average, heavy coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of contracting PD over their lifetimes however, the team confirmed not all individuals benefit equally from caffeinated-coffee and, more importantly, provided a genetic explanation for the differential protection conferred by caffeinated coffee consumption.
The discovery of the connection between the GRIN2A gene and the protective effect of coffee is proof of the concept that people respond differently to drugs because of their genetic makeup. Payami’s study suggests that GRIN2A genotyping, which is simple, non-invasive and inexpensive, may be a useful pharmacogenetic marker for subdividing individuals in clinical trials to determine which medications might work best for which patients.