Integrative Genetics and Translational Research in Parkinson’s Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder, with disease-causing mutations and risk variants in genes such as SNCA, LRRK2, PRKN, PINK1, GBA1, and VPS35 converging on shared pathogenic pathways, including mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired autophagy–lysosomal clearance, disrupted vesicular trafficking, and neuroinflammation. Over the past decade, rapid advances in human genetics and genomics have transformed our understanding of PD biology, shifting the field from single-gene discovery toward integrative, mechanism-driven frameworks.

As we move into 2026, PD research is increasingly focused on actionable precision medicine. Emerging approaches—such as multi-omic integration of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data; long-read sequencing and optical genome mapping to uncover complex structural variants; and genome-wide studies in ancestrally diverse populations—are refining genetic risk models and revealing novel disease mechanisms. These advances are directly informing molecularly targeted therapies, biomarker-guided patient stratification, and early intervention strategies.

In this Special Issue of Genes, we aim to highlight recent progress and future directions in PD genetics, including gene discovery, functional genomics, multi-omic and computational approaches, genetic modifiers of disease progression, and translation of genetic insights into targeted and combination therapies, which will advance the transition from symptomatic treatment toward genotype-informed, disease-modifying interventions.

Dr. Pingping Song
Guest Editor

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