WHO?
23andMe, founded in 2006, is the leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research.
Photo credit: 23andMe
WHAT?
23andMe, announced an agreement with Genentech, a member of the Swiss Roche Group, to generate whole genome sequencing data for approximately 3,000 people in 23andMe’s Parkinson’s disease community. This multi-year collaboration provides Genentech with the ability to identify potential therapeutics based on genome sequencing and survey data from the largest Parkinson’s disease community of its kind. Following the conclusion of the collaboration, 23andMe will have the ability to conduct additional research on the data, as well as the ability to make the information available to Parkinson’s researchers from around the world.
Photo credit: 23andMe
WHY?
Parkinson’s is an extremely complex disease, which affects approximately 1 in every 500 people, so about fourteen million people worldwide. While there have been significant advances in Parkinson’s research, there is currently no cure or even treatments that slow the disease. Some medications can improve symptoms in some patients, but much more research is needed to identify more effective treatments that can slow or halt the progression of the disease. Uncovering more about the role genetics plays in Parkinson’s could provide valuable information about the development of the disease and how to combat it. Previous years, 23andMe found two new genetic associations with Parkinson’s and also discovered a genetic variant in the gene SGK1 that is potentially protective against the disease.
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