Spatial gene expression patterns in the human brain have been studied to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms underlying amyloid-β and tau pathology progression in Alzheimer’s disease, revealing proteins that co-aggregate with amyloid-β and tau, and protein homeostasis components13,14. This highlights the value of analyzing spatial transcriptomics to study the pathobiology in neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, by integrating Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) gene expression data15 with magnetic resonance imaging of PD patients, the regional expression pattern of MAPT and SNCA was associated with loss of functional connectivity in PD16, and regional expression of synaptic transfer genes was related to regional gray matter atrophy in PD17. This combined gene-MRI analysis illustrates the importance of local gene expression changes on functional brain networks. More detailed knowledge about the spatial organization of transcriptomic changes in physiological and pathological conditions may aid in understanding these changes on a functional level during disease progression in PD.
