Objective: To further understand the genetic architecture of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in East Asian and to establish a consortium that  collaborates on genetic studies in PD and form a platform for centres to collaborate on PD-related diseases.

Background: A significant proportion of risk for PD can be attributed to genetics. Further studies on PD genetics is required to improve our understanding of PD. However, most of the genetic studies are done in populations of European ancestry. Until now,  there are a limited number of genetic studies in Asian populations with a large sample size. We aim to bridge this gap by recruiting thousands of PD cases and controls from centres across East Asia and collect the clinical information and DNA. Previous studies in non-European populations presented  similar genetic findings in PD to  European populations, as well as novel and ‘population-specific’ findings. Research across a diverse population may help to refine the genetic loci in PD. We shall collaborate with PD consortiums in other populations  to better understand PD genetics.

Method: We will  collect DNA and clinical information from cohorts collected by individual centres. DNA will then be genotyped using the Illumina GDA + Neuro Booster array. The same array is shared across a consortium we work closely with, including International Parkinson’s Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC) Africa, Latin America, and Indian sections and The Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2; http://gp2.org/). Data from EAPDGC will be analysed centrally and stored for future collaboration.

Results: Currently 8 centres have signed the collaboration agreement and a few more centres are in discussion. Genotyping has started in 2 centres. By June 2021, approximately 1500 samples will be genotyped. At the end of the project, we aim to achieve at least 8000 – 10,000 cases and controls.

Conclusion: Better understanding of the genetic architecture of PD has wide and deep implications for research and care. Data collected from a diverse population will help scientists and clinicians to better understand PD. Population specific genetic data is  important in guiding the treatment for the local population.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/east-asian-parkinsons-disease-genomics-consortium-an-introduction/