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While this year has taken Amanda Piquet, MD, to rarefied heights – becoming the inaugural Céline Dion Foundation Endowed Chair in Autoimmune Neurology and getting singled out by Dion at the premiere of the singer’s new documentary – the CU Anschutz physician and researcher remains grounded in her desire to advance therapies for patients of rare neurological disorders.
As scenes from the documentary “I Am: Céline Dion” clearly show, one such progressive autoimmune neurological disease that affects the well-known celebrity causes patients periods of stress, pain and frustration. The singer lays her emotions bare in the film streaming on Prime Video, wondering if she’ll ever be able to perform again because of stiff person syndrome (SPS).
“We see patients at their most vulnerable periods,” said Piquet, associate professor of neurology and director of the autoimmune neurology program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “And to be able to work with someone over time and help them move forward with their life and get back to doing what they love is amazing.”
On this episode of Health Science Radio, Piquet explains how, in SPS, an antibody wreaks havoc with the central nervous system. It diminishes the “brake function” of the nervous system – altering motor functions, triggering spasms and causing other disruptions.
Listen to the Podcast:
Piquet talks about her team’s upcoming clinical trial that will examine whether chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy could improve the gait of SPS patients who struggle with walking.
When discussing SPS and other rare autoimmune neurological disorders, Piquet frequently talks about “odysseys”: the long diagnostic odyssey – an average of seven years for SPS patients – and the subsequent therapeutic journeys endured by patients.
As Dion emotionally stated from a New York City stage at the world premiere, “Dr. Piquet … has replaced my fear with hope.” And now, through the $2 million gift, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will further distinguish itself as a leader in studying and treating autoimmune neurologic disorders.
Piquet emphasized that she is endlessly inspired by the tenacity – and hope – all of her patients exhibit on their journeys to overcome autoimmune disease.
“Autoimmune neurology is a new field; it really wasn’t even well-described until 2004,” she said. “And the field has just exploded since then. I am so excited and happy to be part of a rapidly evolving field. It keeps me on my toes, and I really think the future is bright for bringing better therapies to patients.”
