The 23andMe Parkinson’s Research Study

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” Carl Sagan

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Colin Powell

Introduction/Background: Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement. It evolves slowly, usually starting as either stiffness in a hand or a small tremor. Over time, Parkinson’s progresses; typically characterized by motor symptoms such as slowness of movement (bradykinesia) with rigidity, resting tremor (Parkinsonian tremor), balance and walking problems, and difficulty swallowing and talking. Parkinson’s has several non-motor symptoms including anxiety, depression, insomnia  and psychosis (just to mention a few). ~60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease are diagnosed each year in the United States, adding to the greater than one million people who currently have Parkinson’s.  It has been estimated that 7-10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s.

“Enclose your heart in times of need with the steel of your determination and your strength. In doing this, all things will be bearable.” Lora Leigh

Genetic Testing and Introduction/Background to 23andMe:
What is the “Central Dogma of Life”? (click here) The process of how the information and instructions found in DNA to become a functional protein is termed the ‘Central Dogma’.  The concept of the central dogma was first proposed in 1958 by Francis Crick, one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA. The central dogma states that the pattern of information that occurs most frequently in our cells is as follows: (i) use existing DNA to make new DNA  (replication); (ii) next, from DNA to make new RNA (transcription); and (iii) finally, using RNA to synthesize new protein (translation). The drawing below depicts the central dogma (the drawing is from this video, click here).

23andMe: What does the name 23andMe represent? Our genetic material  (genes) are housed in chromosomes and they are composed of DNA. We have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell capable of producing new proteins; thus, the name of the company makes sense.  23andMe provides DNA testing services.  The information derived from studying your DNA and genetic make-up can provide information about your ancestry, your genetic predisposition to many different diseases, drug responses and inherited conditions.

“When burned on a CD, the human genome is smaller than Microsoft Office.” Steve Jurvetson

There’s an old saying that goes “Mother is always right.”:  My mother said for her entire life that we were English, Scottish (or Irish), French and German in our ancestral ‘gene pool’.  Several years ago, my extended family and I took to spitting into the 23andMe test-tubes.  We mailed them back to the company to establish our genetic history and screen our family gene pool for several diseases and their inherited susceptibility. Guess what?  Mom was absolutely right about our family ancestry.  Interestingly, there was no evidence of early onset Parkinson’s in my extended family; thus, my disorder is the sporadic/idiopathic type of Parkinson’s.

“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” Agatha Christie

The 23andMe Parkinson’s research study: A few years ago, 23andMe decided to better understand the genetics of Parkinson’s disease; thus, the Parkinson’s research initiative.  Their goal is as follows: to understand the genetic associations found between Parkinson’s patients’ DNA and our disease; to take this new knowledge and search for a cure; and ultimately, they strive to enhance and speed-up how Parkinson’s disease is studied to better understand the genetics of the disease (click here to read further details).  It’s easy to get involved in the 23andMe Parkinson’s research study, here are the eligibility requirements: (1) You have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease by a qualified physician; (2) You are willing to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing and complete online surveys related to your condition; (3) You have access to the internet; and (4) You are at least 18 years old.  The flow-chart below shows all one has to do to join this community of people-with-Parkinson’s helping out to search for a cure.

23andMe has an impressive group of  primary research partners and several other organizations as supporting partners, see below. To date, more than 10,000 people have agreed to be in 23andMe’s Parkinson’s Research Community, which makes it the world’s largest collective of genotyped Parkinson’s patients. Furthermore, many thousands of people without Parkinson’s have also consented to participate in these research studies.

Save

Save

Save