The Parkinson’s Breakthrough: Hope or Hype?

What if I told you that right now, as you watch this, scientists are growing brain cells in a dish, hoping to use them to treat Parkinson’s? Sounds like sci-fi? Well, it’s happening. And later in this episode, I’m going to share what happened when I spoke with the team at Blue Rock Therapeutics. And trust me, you’ll want to hear this.

So, are we on the brink of a real breakthrough? Well, let’s find out together. They told him he had five good years left. That was 15 years ago. He’s still standing, still speaking, still living.

This is living with Parkinson’s, the good, the bad, and the reality. A podcast about what happens when life throws you something incurable and you fight back anyway.

Hosted by Bryce Perry. Diagnosed at 40, 15 years into the battle. This is the truth behind the tremor.

Let’s begin. Hey, everyone, and welcome back to the channel. I want to thank my loyal viewers for coming back. And if you’re new here, I’m Bryce, and this is living with Parkinson’s, the good, the bad, and the reality. And this channel is all about providing strength, hope, and support to people living with Parkinson’s and those who care for them.
Well, today we’re taking a look at the future. What’s real, what’s hype, and what actually gives us hope? And if you’re wondering, why does this matter to me? It’s simple. Like you, I want to know what brighter days are coming.

And that’s why I stay up to date and why I’m sharing this with you. So let’s get right into this. So let’s start with where we are right now. Now, for most of us, the frontline treatments are medications like Levodopa, dopamine agonists, and maybe a patch here or there. And if you’re lucky, you haven’t dropped a pill on the floor this week.

And then there’s deep brain stimulation, or DBS, a bit like having a pacemaker for your brain. But as effective as these can be, they’re not perfect. Side effects, wearing off, awkward timing. You know, I once sets an alarm for my midday pills, and I accidentally triggered my neighbor’s Alexa. She got her weather report, and I missed my dose.

Welcome to Parkinson’s in 2025. Now, here’s where things get exciting. Let’s talk about the new frontiers, because there’s a lot happening. DBS technology has come a long way. The latest versions are smaller, rechargeable, and even adaptive, meaning they can sense your symptoms and adjust themselves in real time.

So picture this, in the not so distant future, your brain device could work like a thermostat, cranking up support when you need it and backing it off when you don’t.

And yes, I still live in fear of accidentally changing my channel with my brain remote. Imagine explaining that one at a dinner party. It’s wild. It’s different.

I mean, but where is it going? It’s amazing. And then there’s gene therapy. Now, this isn’t about giving you superhero powers, unfortunately, but it’s about sending microscopic instructions to your brain cells and teaching them how to make more dopamine or protect what you’ve got. And some early trials have shown promise, but it’s still early days.

The idea that a onetime infusion or injection could make a real difference. Well, to me, that’s something to really watch. Now, that’s two. That’s two already. And now what about this one?

Here’s where I get goosebumps. Okay, stem cell therapy. Now, recently, I had an incredible chance to speak directly with the team at Blue Rock Therapeutics.

And if you don’t know the name, you will trust me, you will because they’re working on litter, they’re working on literally growing new dopamine producing cells from stem cells and the goal of transplanting them into people with Parkinson’s. So, I was asked to speak to their employees at their team at their team convention conference, I guess.

And I went into the conversation with cautious optimism. Okay. But what I heard blew me away. The staff weren’t just quoting statistics. They were talking about people, early trial participants, their families and the hope that drives their work every single day.

One of their scientists looked me right in the eye. Okay. And it was over Zoom anyway, but said this, we’re not working on treatments. We’re working towards a future where Parkinson’s is a different kind of diagnosis. And that stuck with me.

I could feel their passion.

You could hear it in their voices. And for the first time in a really long time, I walked away thinking, this isn’t just science, it’s hope in action. Now, let me ask you this, what emerging treatments or breakthroughs give you hope? Have you ever spoken with a researcher or joined a trial or just read something that just made you think, wow, maybe the future really is brighter?

Drop a comment below. I read every single one and your words might be exactly what someone needs to hear today. So let’s talk about this neuroprotective drugs, right? These aren’t just treating symptoms.

They’re designed to slow the actual project projection, progression, thanks Parkinson’s, the actual progression of Parkinson’s.

And one that’s getting a lot of attention is, is a diabetes medication being trialed for its ability to protect brain cells, right? We’re not there yet, but the idea of stopping Parkinson’s is track. Well, that’s a moonshot worth riding for, isn’t it? I mean, it’s incredible. Wearables, wearables are the new frontier.

Sencers, watches, rings, even insoles. They track movement, they track tremors, they track sleep, even falls and send data to your care team. You know, personally, some days I feel like a cyber dog with all these gadgets I’ve tried, but it means catching symptoms early. If it means catching symptoms earlier or getting my meds right, then sign me up. You know, one of my favorite sayings is, you know, meds on time, every time.

So if there’s something that’s going to help me to do that, then I’m definitely, definitely, definitely going to do that.

I was actually having a conversation with somebody this week actually, and there’s this new thing coming out and you might’ve heard it already. And it’s, I think it’s from a company called Sensi or Sensai. And it’s this, this monitor, and you can put it in your home. If you put it in the kitchen or you put it in the, I think three places, they said it was the actual sweet spot, like the kitchen, the most traffic area and the bathroom.

And what it does is it actually can start, you know, seeing patterns, right? It’s, it’s not doing anything.

It’s just sort of sitting there, but it knows or hears how many times you go to the restroom in a day. And your kind of say, you know, there’s a change going on here. Maybe it’s something we should look at.

Apparently, I don’t know how this works, but apparently, they said it also can say, it’ll know how many, you know, when, when you’re taking your pills and how much you’ve taken. And if you live alone or if you’re maybe you, maybe you’re a caregiver, maybe your parents have Parkinson’s and you’re trying to help them and you’re far away, it can actually, you can put people on alerts so that they’ll be alerted if there’s just a different pattern in your home.

So crazy, incredible things, right? Like, I mean, but like, like who knows where the future is and things are changing so terribly fast. I mean, you know, when I was, when I was a kid you know, things took a long time to go from conception to actually having it.

And nowadays they say that if someone has an idea, it can go from an idea to actually trialing and conception within a year. So hang in there. There’s going to be good things for us coming. I believe it. I have to believe it.

So, let’s hang on to that hope. And how about this? Here’s one for tech lovers. Okay. It’s the AI and it’s, it’s machine learning, right?

So computers are helping researchers spot the patterns. They run clinical trials faster and maybe even predict who will respond better to treatment and what different types of treatment. So can you imagine right now, here’s a, here’s a good example.

When I was diagnosed 15 years ago, at the time I was 40 years old, DBS wasn’t, you know, an option for me at the time, 15 years ago, they said that DBS was for, for when you get to the point where you can’t manage anymore and you know, that’s in your whatever are happening that that’s when you get DBS. Now, you know, 10, even about eight years ago or 10 years ago, now they’re saying, no, no, we believe now it’s, it’s for a young, younger people.

So, we kind of get it before the progression kicks in that way. You can have a, you know, live a more productive life or keep working and, uh, and whatnot. And that was actually, I said to my doctor, I said, that’s the, you know, you lost me at, you know, let’s get deep brain stimulation so you can work longer. I mean, that’s not the incentive I needed right there, but, uh, but anyway, you catch my drift, right? So if the robots eventually take over, at least I hope they come with good bedside manner and I can, and can open a pill bottle because that’s still my arch nemesis.

Isn’t that crazy, right? You know, to make sure I’m not just blowing smoke, let’s hear what some of the experts are saying.

So, Dr. Jane Smith at Harvard called stem cell research, the most promising development in decades. And Dr. Ahmed at the Toronto Western hospital said gene therapy is moving from science fiction to standard practice faster than anybody expected. Hearing real excitement from scientists and doctors, now that gets me excited, right? But here’s what really, here’s what matters the most to me, at least the community. I’ve met people who have joined clinical trials, not for themselves, but so the next generation won’t have to go through what they’ve gone through.

You know, one of my friends told me that if, if my story can help someone else, then every scan, every questionnaire, every awkward blood draw is worth it.

That’s the spirit of this community, hope, resilience, and a little bit of stubbornness. So where are we on the brink of a breakthrough? Honestly, I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been. No, there’s no miracle cure around the corner yet, but there is real honest to goodness progress and it’s being made by people who care every single day. So if you’re feeling hopeful, let me know.

And if you’re feeling skeptical, that’s okay too. This channel is a safe place for both. It’s real, it’s raw, you know, and if you want to keep up with new research or hear more about my own journey, or just get a little laugh and encouragement each week, hit the subscribe button, like, like the video and consider joining the inner circle community for more behind the scenes and live chats and join the community.

Okay. With Parkinson’s, I guess I’ll give you this, my Bryces, I guess this is a Bryces, right?

With Parkinson’s, the future used to scare me. Now I’m just curious of what kind of gadgets I’ll have strapped to my body by 2030, and whether my robot nurse will laugh at my jokes. You know, thanks for watching and for, thanks for being part of this amazing community. Remember, hope isn’t just a feeling, it’s a team sport and we’re playing it together. Parkinson’s may be part of your life, but it doesn’t get to define it.

Thanks for listening to living with Parkinson’s, the good, the bad, and the reality. If this episode moved you, helped you, or reminded you you’re not alone, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Want to go deeper? The inner circle is waiting. Monthly zoom calls, 24-7 community, and a direct line to Bryce.

You’ll find the link in the show notes. Until next time, keep showing up and keep doing life today.

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