Bayer: Science For A Better Life - research

Hansen Family Prize goes to neurobiologist Dr. Rüdiger Klein

The right contact

Dr. Udo Oels, prizewinner Dr. Rüdiger Klein and Werner Wenning (from left) at the award ceremony.

By the time our nervous system is completely developed, an estimated 100 billion nerve cells have formed, each of which is connected to other cells through several thousand links. Chemical signals ensure that the right target cells are identified. Dr. Rüdiger Klein, a neurobiologist and lecturer, has been awarded the Hansen Family Prize – named after a former chairman of the management and supervisory boards of Bayer AG – for his research into these chemical signaling systems.

Findings can help to treat neuronal diseases

Dr. Klein identified a long-sought-after signal receptor molecule for nerve growth factor. This protein enables contact to be made and maintained between cells. Dr. Klein’s discovery could be particularly important in the treatment of neuronal disorders like Parkinson’s disease and in spinal cord injuries. The following article contains details of his research, the prize and ways in which his findings could be used.