A prognostic view on the application of individualized genomics in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a common age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Over the last 15 years advances have been made in our understanding of the etiology of the disease, with the greatest insights perhaps coming from genetic studies. The identification of a number of genes that harbor pathogenic mutations causing Parkinson's disease have on the whole driven the development of disease model systems and nominated a number of therapeutic targets. As we move towards an era of personalized medicine, genetic determinants will become even more crucial for accurate diagnosis, and assessing prognosis and outcomes. The individual genomic profile and risk assessments will in the long-term determine clinical trial participation, treatment plans and therapeutic dosing. Herein we discuss the status of genetics in Parkinson's disease and how these factors may affect the patient care in the future.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; diagnosis; genetics; genomics; individualized medicine.