Takeaway
A meta-analysis of worldwide genome-wide association studies of Parkinson’s disease age of onset confirms importance of loci on chromosome 4.
Why this matters
There is a need to characterize genetic determinants of the age of onset of Parkinson's disease, including the validation of previously identified SNCA and TMEM175 loci on chromosome 4.
This meta-analysis in global genome-wide association studies not only validates previously identified loci but also identifies a novel locus, BST1; better understanding of the genetic determinants that modify disease progression will enable the development of treatments to delay the onset of Parkinson’s disease.