Google Inc co-founder Sergey Brin said on Thursday that he has a genetic code that markedly increases the likelihood he will develop Parkinson’s disease, the degenerative brain disorder.
In his blog, Brin said genetic testing showed that both he and his mother carried the G2019S mutation of the LRRK2 gene, which is linked to rare examples of familial Parkinson’s.
Google spokesperson Roli Agarwal confirmed the blog was Brin’s.
While the exact implications of the test results are not clear, Brin said it meant his chances of developing the disease, compared with the average person, were “somewhere between 20 percent to 80 percent depending on the study and how you measure”.
“This leaves me in a rather unique position,” he said. “I know early in my life something I am substantially predisposed to. I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds,” Brin added.
Brin said he also had the opportunity to perform and support research into the disease.
Two days ago, Forbes reported Brin among the “400 Richest Americans”. Brin ranks #13 with a net worth of $15.9 billion. We anticipate that he will donate generously to organizations that are working towards a cure for Parkinson’s. A good start would be for him to hook up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
The original blog can be read at too.blogspot.com.
