Researchers have successfully identified a single gene capable of increasing or decreasing the risk of developing Crohn’s disease. This same gene could also be involved in Parkinson’s disease.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic and severe inflammatory disease. It mainly affects the small intestine and the large intestine up to the anus. This is due to an autoimmune response which leads to excessive and painful inflammation in the lining of the intestines. The tissue surrounding the digestive system becomes thick and can even lead to ulcerations and fistulas which can lead to the parts of the intestine causing the problem to be removed.
Researchers analyzed the genomes of 5,700 Ashkenazi Jews – sick and non-sick – to see if they could glean anything else about the underlying genetics of the disease.
They found that different mutations in the same gene could increase or decrease the risk of developing Crohn’s disease.
The LRRK2 gene involved
It turns out that if a person has the “bad” variant of the LRRK2 gene, their risk of disease is 70%, compared to 25% for those who have had the “good” variant. This gene turns out to play a role in removing waste that builds up in a type of white blood cell called a macrophage, as well as some stem cells found in the small intestine. This study is published in Science Translational Research.
Researchers suspect that this waste damages cells and leads to inflammation. Moreover, this same gene has also been implicated with that of Parkinson’s, which means that any treatment could help both diseases.
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