Brain HealthA Common Pigmentation Gene Variant Linked to Faster Parkinson's Progression
A large longitudinal study found that common variants in the MC1R gene — best known for influencing red hair and fair skin — are associated with significantly faster Parkinson's disease progression. In a primary cohort of 809 patients and a separate replication cohort of 587 patients, both followed for up to 12 years, those carrying MC1R loss-of-function variants showed 30–50% faster motor decline compared to non-carriers. In a smaller group of 53 patients with prodromal Parkinson's, carriers faced more than a fourfold increased risk of converting to full Parkinson's disease. Because these variants are carried by more than 60% of people of European descent, they could serve as a widely applicable genetic marker for identifying high-risk patients — improving clinical trial design and enabling earlier, more targeted interventions to slow disease progression.
