The most common questions that probably go through everyone’s mind at this point are: Is this serious? Does such a project have any chance of success?
In my opinion, this question cannot be answered with yes or no. Rather, what is correct is that the likelihood of success increases to the extent and with the speed with which knowledge about the cause and disease mechanism increases. A superintelligence with unlimited access to the necessary resources would probably reach the goal before 2030. However, without a corresponding project, it will probably take a lot longer.
Ultimately, there are two questions / answers that determine the success of the project:
1. Who are the acting people / scientists?
2. What resources / funds are available?
The answers to both questions are closely linked and mutually determined, and due to the weak lobby there has been a lack of public research funds (see below *). It is therefore necessary that those affected – patients, relatives, (former) employers (?) … – engage themselves as long as it is possible for them. But it could also be interesting for investors to participate appropriately in a high-tech project to research and “repair” the most complex structure that we have found in our universe so far.
*) One of the scientists who support this project recently wrote to me: “It will certainly not be easy to get public funding for new Parkinson’s research on a large scale. For this, health research as a whole is far too neglected in the priorities of politics the EU budget under Pillar 2 of the Horizon Europe research program is roughly € 7 billion less than that of all other areas (climate, energy, food …). This is particularly surprising when you consider that the EU spends around € 4.5 billion a day The concept of saving costs through research has obviously not yet convinced European politics. I see the best chance in a patient-driven project, similar to the Hereditary Disease Foundation, which has definitely accelerated the identification of the HD gene significantly. Sergej Brin / Google, for example, could theoretically more about P in the next few years arkinson research than the EU will spend in its overall health research framework program. The drugs for the treatment of the symptoms of the disease alone will devour around 120 billion euros in the next 10 years (EU: around 1,000,000 patients, around € 1,000 per month per patient). An investment of 10% of these costs in our project would most likely save at least 50% of these costs result.
History and background
Already in the writings of antiquity the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are mentioned. The first comprehensive description of the disease, comes from the English physician James Parkinson from the year 1817. Parkinson in particular pointed to the slow but steady progression of the disease. Arvid Carlsson finally discovered in 1960 that the lack of the messenger substance dopamine caused the symptoms of the disease.
Until today unknown are the causes, which lead to the outbreak of the disease – consequently there is still no possibility for prevention.
Also, the disease mechanism is still a mystery. Therefore, we can neither stop nor slow down the progression of the disease – nor search specifically for therapeutic options.
However, after more than 200 years of research, we now have the know-how, technologies and resources to free humanity from this disease that can strike any one of us abruptly.
Goals and expectations in general
The PARKINSON TERMINATOR-PROJECT has set itself the task of investigating the causes of Parkinson’s disease and the disease mechanism as part of a major international project, comparable to the human genome project, and to make available a causal therapy before the end of 2030.
This project is particularly attractive due to the expectation that numerous technologies will (have to) be developed in the course of its development and that many of them will also be patented and marketed.
As the project progresses, highly qualified jobs will emerge not only in the medical/neurological field but in various areas of the high-tech industry, e.g. in the field of hardware and software development, e.g. for the development of human-computer-machine but also human-computer-human-interfaces.
This could well lead to the return on investment (ROI) of this project outperforming all other comparable companies.
Implementation
There are two phases for the implementation of the project. The first phase serves to create the prerequisites for carrying out the actual project. Through fundraising activities should be raised 250,000 – 1,000,000 €. These funds are used to draw attention to the project and to receive the support of leading scientists and institutions. Together with them, a “Roadmap” for the second phase will be developed, which will be published in one of the leading scientific journals (for example Nature or Science). On this basis, in the course of the preparation and implementation of a “PARKINSON TERMINATOR SYMPOSIUM” in 2020, a “CHAMPIONS-LEAGUE TEAM” of the top international scientists will be formed in Potsdam. This should in turn motivate financially strong investors to invest the necessary funds.
The second phase, the actual project, is planned and organized by the “CHAMPIONS-LEAGUE-TEAM”.
Significant aspects of the project’s status are contained in the First Report and Progress Meeting Minutes and the Interim Report 2018 to the Deutsche Parkinson Vereinigung e. V. (DPV) of 18 October 2018. >>> open the log. As a result, we were requested by the DPV to call in additional funds already requested and made available and, in addition, to request further funds. Our extended project application was submitted on January 18, 2018 and presented at the meeting of the DPV-science committee on August 20, 2019 in Kassel by Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Kupsch and Dr. med. Uwe Radelof presented and discussed with the DPV-science committee (protocol in preparation).
Phase I: 2018/2019
project preparation
- Construction of the information and communication platform PTP42.de and a central database (similar to the RZPD – Ressorcenzentrum primary database during the human genome project).
- Preparing a roadmap containing all the steps necessary to achieve the project objective and publish it in a high-impact science journal, e.g. NATURE or Science.
- raising the required research funds using alternative sources of money; Art2Cure, Laugh2Cure, Donate2Cure, health insurances, patient organizations, wealthy sufferers, foundations
- Finding and winning the leading and most suitable scientists (“Robert Oppenheimer of Neurology”) as well as suitable cooperation partners
- Development of the necessary organizational structures (analogous to the National Genome Research Network – NGFN or the Human Genome Organization – HUGO)
Financial requirements: 250,000 – 1,000,000 EUR
Phase II: 2019/2020 – 2030
project start
Financial needs: EUR 10 million – EUR 50 billion
What is new or different?
Several aspects make this project unique compared to other research projects in the field of neurodegenerative diseases:
Organizationally
- Mandatory goal: to make causal Parkinson’s therapy available before the end of 2030
- Roadmap of all steps needed to achieve the project’s goal is set out in a “High Impact” science journal, such as: e.g. NATURE or Science published
- Establishment of the necessary organizational structure in the center of which is PARKINSON TERMINATOR ORGANIZATION (PASTO, similar to HUGO = Human Genome Organization), which coordinates all work
- Acquisition of an interdisciplinary team of internationally leading scientists and institutions of neurology, internal medicine, pharmacology, microbiology, molecular genetics, sleep research, rheumatology, immunology, immunogenetics, brain research, computer science, artificial intelligence, criminology (dragnet investigation), chess grandmaster …
- Obtaining an internationally recognized identification figure (“Robert Oppenheimer of Neurology”) as project manager
- The PARKINSON TERMINATOR-PROJECT is planned as a global, societal engagement. It realizes the interaction of patients, scientists, doctors, politicians, artists, patient organizations, health insurances, wealthy celebrities … as active supporters and financiers.
Financial
- Identification, naming and attracting the actual/realistically necessary amount of money
- Identify and tap into alternative sources of funding: patient organizations, wealthy patients, artists (Art2Cure), health insurances (as concerned) company, every single interested citizen (Art2Cure, Laugh2Cure, Donate2Cure …)
- Lenders are offered added value: acquisition of shares or special information rights, acquisition of special products or conventional products at special prices …
Scientific
clinic
- Fresh cellular material from living patients obtained by washing away the surgical instruments used to implant the DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) electrodes.
- alternatives to DBS;
- “Ambulatory stimulation” through the mouth
- Stimulation by ultrasound (over the mouth)
- Interdisciplinary: brain research, sleep research, pharmacology, infection biology, microbiology (intestine and skin), Digital Health (HPI Potsdam) …
- “Enriched Reanalysis” of study results
- Increased involvement of twin research
Laboratory
Application of the latest technologists, the z. B. already used in cancer research:
- Next Generation Sequencing (NGS): whole genome and transcriptome of cells of different disease states (healthy – sick – dying)
- Epigenetic analysis
- Proteome analysis
- immuno-status analysis
- metabolome analysis
- Microbiological status of the intestine and the skin
- Single-Cell Analysis
IT
- Computational modeling, Virtual Patient (ModCell™ from ALACRIS)
- “Parkinson’s weather forecast” based on comprehensive parameter acquisition: DNA sequence, skin and mucosal colonization status, infection status, body temperature, sleep patterns, toxicity status (blood and cerebrospinal fluid), number and condition of dopaminergic cells, intracranial pressure …
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) see e.g. ASTRAZENECA AND BERG
- Big Data Analysis, Digital Health (HPI Potsdam)