Mutations in the leucine-rich-repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are associated with familial and sporadic cases of Parkinson's disease but are also found in immune-related disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, tuberculosis and leprosy.
Our findings suggest that normalization of LRRK2 activation could be a therapeutic approach for treating IBD, regardless of whether a <i>LRRK2</i> risk allele is involved.
Thus, our study defines a new step in the control of NFAT activation that involves an immunoregulatory function of LRRK2 and has important implications for inflammatory bowel disease.