January 19, 2026

@michaelokun

Proteins and ancestry are reshaping how we think about Parkinson’s disease risk. What does proteomic mean? Proteomic refers to the study of proteins in the blood or body and how they influence disease risk and biology. Lim and colleagues describe in a new paper in Movement Disorders how circulating proteins and genetics link to Parkinson’s disease risk differently across ancestries. Key points: - This study used genetic tools to test whether specific blood proteins likely play a causal role in Parkinson’s disease, rather than being bystanders. - Some protein signals were shared across European and East Asian ancestries, while others were ancestry specific. - BST1 emerged as a consistent risk increasing protein across both ancestries strengthening confidence in its biological relevance. My take: This paper pushes the field forward by reminding us that Parkinson’s disease biology is not a one size fits all. If we want precision neurology, we have to study diverse groups and connect genes to proteins and also to pathways that health care providers can actually target. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Parkinson’s disease risk biology can look different depending on ancestry and that matters for discovery. 2- Proteins are closer to disease mechanisms than genes alone and may be better therapeutic targets. 3- Finding shared signals like BST1 helps prioritize pathways that may benefit many folks globally. 4- Ancestry specific signals remind us that diversity in research is essential, not optional. 5- The future of Parkinson’s care likely blends genetics, proteomics and ancestry aware-based and precision strategies. https://movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mds.70169 #michaelokun #fixelinstitute #parkinson #genetics