Centogene Launches 2-Year Global ROPAD Study to Assess the Genetics of Parkinson’s Disease

A two-year, global, observational study that will assess the contribution of genetic factors in the development of Parkinson’s disease has been launched by Centogene, in collaboration with the University of Lübeck.

The new study (NCT03866603), which is called “Rostock International Parkinson’s Disease Study” or ROPAD, seeks to enroll around 10,000 participants worldwide to get a representative snapshot of the genetic variability in a large population of patients with this progressive neurodegenerative disease.

Adult individuals, 18 or older, who have been clinically diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are eligible to participate in the study, as well as individuals who are family members of a patient with LRRK2 parkinsonism or are at high risk of having the disease.

The main goal of the study is to pinpoint the specific genetic mutations and genes that may be associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease.

The study’s primary outcome will be to assess the number of patients carrying mutations in the LRRK2 gene, in which more than 100 different mutations associated with late-onset Parkinson’s disease have already been identified. The researchers will also assess, as the study’s secondary outcomes, the prevalence of mutations in other genes previously linked to Parkinson’s, such as GBA.

All the genetic analysis will be performed using the CentoCard, Centogene’s proprietary, CE-marked device that has been designed to collect and evaluate dried blood spot samples.

“Centogene is committed to bringing hope to patients and their families by shortening the diagnostic odyssey, and we are proud to be working on this important study that may have vast implications for the future diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease,” Arndt Rolfs, CEO and founder of Centogene, said in a press release.

“All too often clinical studies do not reflect the ethnic diversity of the world, and this study is unique in that we are working across all ethnicities worldwide and crosschecking the effect of environmental components and individual genetics. We are excited about the contribution that Centogene and our partners are making in discovering deeper insights into Parkinson’s disease genetics,” Rolfs added.

Patients carrying genetic mutations linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease will have the opportunity to participate in the “LRRK2 International Parkinson’s Disease Project (LIPAD),” a study led by professor Christine Klein, MD, at the University of Lübeck which is designed to document the frequency of all signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease among this particular population.

In addition, patients participating in ROPAD who are carriers of LRRK2 mutations will have the chance to enroll in future clinical studies led by Denali Therapeutics, Centogene’s study partner, which is currently working on a set of new investigational therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.

To know more about the ROPAD trial and how to participate, visit Centogen’s webpage or its ClinicalTrial.gov registry page.