Parkinson’s Genes in African Populations Look Different

Most Parkinson’s genetics research has centred on people of European ancestry, leaving big gaps for everyone else. This Brain study, published on 8 October 2025, tackles that problem by asking how Parkinson’s genetics looks in people with African ancestry and setting out to close the gap. What the researchers did The team analysed DNA from 710 people with Parkinson’s and 11,827 people without Parkinson’s, all with African or African admixed ancestry. They searched for rare changes in genes already linked to Parkinson’s. They also looked for bigger structural changes in DNA and for patterns that suggest inherited risk. Think of it as a full sweep for known trouble spots and any new ones that might matter in these populations.  What they found One gene stood out. Changes in a gene called GBA1 were the most common in people with Parkinson’s in this study. About four in every hundred people with Parkinson’s carried a rare GBA1 change. Some of these changes are known to be harmful, some were new, and some remain unclear. Notably, the classic GBA1 changes often seen in European or Ashkenazi Jewish groups did not show up here. In short, the same gene matters, but the exact spelling mistakes are different.  A second well known gene, LRRK2, told a different story again. The famous LRRK2 changes that raise risk in Europe and Asia were rare or absent. Instead the team spotted three new LRRK2 changes that were seen more often in cases than in controls. We do not yet know if these cause disease. They are strong candidates for lab follow up.  They also looked for larger cut and paste events in DNA. In the PRKN gene, which is important in early onset Parkinson’s, they found these structural changes in about seven in a thousand people with Parkinson’s in this group. Two thirds of these were the kind of two hit situations that tend to drive early onset disease. This fits with what doctors already see in clinics, but with data from African ancestry populations that have been missing for too long.  There was one more signal. Three people had an expanded repeat in a gene called ATXN3. This type of repeat can cause another movement disorder. Its presence here raises useful questions about overlap between conditions and about how we diagnose people when symptoms blur.  Why this matters The main message is simple. Parkinson’s genetics is not one size fits all. Some of the same genes show up, but the exact changes differ by ancestry. If we build tests, plan trials, or design drugs only around European data, we risk missing the mark for many people. Studies like this push the field towards care that works for everyone.  What comes next Several of the newly flagged changes need careful lab work to prove cause and effect. The authors call for more studies and more participants to confirm and refine these results. That means larger, long term projects and closer links with clinics across Africa and African diaspora communities. The goal is clear. Better data should lead to better, more precise treatment choices for people with Parkinson’s, wherever their family roots lie.