Bayer and BlueRock Therapeutics are collaborating to develop cell therapies for Parkinson’s disease. Their lead product is bemdaneprocel (BRT-DA01). It contains dopaminergic precursor cells derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
These dopamine-producing cells are injected in the brain area where there is a large loss of dopaminergic cells.
One disadvantage of using embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is that these cells came from another individual (an embryo), meaning that Parkinson’s patients receiving this therapy need to also take immunosuppressive drugs. These drugs suppress the immune system to avoid the immune system rejecting these “foreign” transplanted cells.
However, such drugs can have significant side effects, especially in the long term (such as in increased cancer risk, kidney damage, etc).
