The resulting dopamineproducing neurons or the cell therapy produced with them is called Bemdaneprocel. Don’t complain about the difficult name because it also has the acronym BRTDA01, which sounds much more complicated.
“Other degenerative diseases also lead to the destruction of certain neurons. Who knows, we can replace them in the future,” says Ettenberg happily. The desire to find a cure for complex diseases arose early in his life. “I was 11 when my brother Andy, who was 13, died of leukemia. From that moment on, I was fascinated by the idea of finding ways to help patients and their families.” Personal experiences were crucial in starting his career as a researcher in oncology treatments. But today he speaks less passionately about cell therapy for Parkinson’s.
“If a person sees a doctor because they feel like they are not sleeping well dopamine is also involved in sleep, that is good to keep in mind or because they notice a slight tremor in their hands, or because they notice that they are not “If he gets out of bed or sofa easily, he’s generally lost 50 to 80 percent of his dopaminergic neurons,” he says.
According to him, the disease is usually diagnosed between the ages of 60 and 75. But there are always exceptions. The bestknown of them is the now 62yearold American actor Michael J. Fox, star of the “Back to the Future” series. He discovered Parkinson’s when he was just 29 years old.
No matter how old you are, the dopamine that is no longer produced will be sorely missed. “We need it for a wide variety of movements walking, picking up, sitting, eating, speaking and even breathing,” explains Ettenberg.
According to him, the goal of bemdaneprocel is not to cure Parkinson’s. “You see, the people who received this cell therapy in our study continued to suffer from the disease,” he notes. “Our goal is that these vital functions in everyday life can be partially restored through this treatment.” And in this respect, the initial results are quite encouraging.