Category: Parkinson's Disease: Genetics
Objective:
To broaden the available data for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and related disorders by integrating genetic data from more than 140,000 participants worldwide through genotyping and whole genome sequencing, complemented by enhanced quality control procedures and the inclusion of geographically-restricted GDPR-compliant samples.
Background: The latest data release from the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) significantly expands the genetic information accessible, providing extensive genetic and clinical datasets across 11 ancestry classifications to more accurately represent global genetic diversity.
Method:
Quality control protocols with GenoTools (v1.0.0) ensure data integrity, and variant calling in the whole genome sequences uses DRAGEN for accuracy. Using our ancestry prediction machine learning model, based on the 1000 Genomes (1KG) panel among other reference datasets, we classify participants into one of 11 ancestry groups.
Results: The incorporation of GDPR-compliant samples through the Verily Viewpoint Workbench, along with extensive clinical data for approximately 20,000 individuals, represents a substantial advancement. The updated dataset contains genotypes from approximately 70,000 individuals with PD, 35,000 controls, and 36,000 individuals with other phenotypes. Additionally, it includes whole genome sequences for approximately 50,000 individuals. Furthermore, we have made 10,454 clinical exome sequences available.
Conclusion:
The consistent updates from GP2 continue to enrich the research landscape by emphasizing ancestral diversity, improving quality controls, and integrating detailed clinical data. These enhancements are poised to propel forward our understanding and treatment of PD and related dementias. Beyond just data, GP2 has fostered a collaborative network equipped with training materials, support for project proposals and management, and analysis assistance. This comprehensive approach ensures that researchers are well-supported to leverage these resources effectively.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
GP2. Global_parkinsons Genetics_program. The Global Parkinsons Genetics Program: Expanding the Diversity of Neurological Disorder Data – 2026 Update [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-global-parkinsons-genetics-program-expanding-the-diversity-of-neurological-disorder-data-2026-update/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-global-parkinsons-genetics-program-expanding-the-diversity-of-neurological-disorder-data-2026-update/