About the Study
The genetics of IBD and Parkinson’s is a collaborative research study led Drs. Inga Peter, Rachel Sanders-Pullman, and Susan Bressman.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) manifests itself as either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Approximately 1.4 million people in the US have been affected by IBD; the prevalence among Ashkenazi Jews is about two to four times higher than among non-Jewish whites.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder of the central nervous system. Mutations in the LRRK2 gene, the greatest genetic contributor to Parkinson’s disease, were recently found in patients with IBD, placing individuals at greater risk of developing either (or both) diseases.