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> i would be interested to know who is doing research in this Chinese gene Genetic risk factor for Parkinson's found JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A U.S.-led study suggests many Chinese Parkinson's disease victims carry a genetic mutation that originated from a common ancestor about 4,800 years ago. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. and the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, found ethnic Chinese individuals carrying a mutation they identified in the LRRK2 gene are two times more likely to develop the disease than non-carriers. Given the population of China and the number of ethnic Chinese worldwide, that mutation might predispose more people to developing Parkinson's disease than any other genetic factor, the scientists said. However, they caution not everyone with the mutation develops the disease, and in those who do, other genetic and environmental factors are probably in play. Mayo Clinic neuroscientist Matthew Farrer, lead author of the study, said the finding is a small part of the ongoing genetic revolution in medicine. "Seemingly sporadic Parkinson's disease may be a familial disorder, and we're finding that the genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease are population specific," he said. The study was published in the online edition of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn