University of Queensland researchers have developed a promising new anti-inflammatory drug and, for the first time, used advanced imaging to watch its effects unfold inside the living brain, a breakthrough that could accelerate treatments for Parkinson’s disease.
Lead author Dr Eduardo Albornoz Balmaceda from the School of Biomedical Sciences said testing in mice models showed the new-generation oral drug blocked inflammation in the brain and helped improve motor function.
“Inflammation acts like a slow-burning fire in the brain, progressively damaging the neurons that produce dopamine – the chemical which controls movement,” Dr Albornoz Balmaceda said.
“Our study showed this drug, which targets part of the immune system called ‘inflammasomes’, reduced brain inflammation and prevented the disease from killing more neurons, therefore stopping its progression.
Professor Trent Woodruff, Associate Professor Karine Mardon and Dr Eduardo Albornoz Balmaceda.
“What’s most exciting is we could actually see these changes happening in the living brain using advanced simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed within UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging.
“This imaging approach gives us a safe and powerful tool to track target engagement and disease progression, which is essential for designing future human clinical trials.”
Senior author, Professor Trent Woodruff, Group Leader of UQ’s Neuroinflammation Lab said it was a huge step forward in the search for a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.
“Parkinson’s is one of the fastest growing neurodegenerative diseases, and it is expected to impact more than 25 million people by 2050,” Professor Woodruff said.
“Current therapies can alleviate symptoms but do not significantly slow or stop progression of the disease.
“This new class of drugs aims to do exactly that, and by combining it with cutting-edge PET/MRI biomarkers, we can measure whether it’s truly protecting the brain.”
Professor Woodruff said the study’s findings demonstrated the promise of the treatment, and the imaging strategy could accelerate drug discovery for other inflammatory brain diseases.
The drug used in the study was developed by Inflazome, a company spun out of UQ and Trinity College Dublin Trinity by Professor Luke O’Neill and paper co-corresponding author Professor Matt Cooper.
Inflazome was established in 2016 through UQ’s commercialisation company UniQuest, which managed the resulting intellectual property (IP).
The company was later acquired by Roche in a landmark deal involving an upfront cash payment of approximately AUD $617 million.
Brain scans show a loss of dopamine-containing neurons in the brain caused by Parkinson’s disease, but these signals improved with the drug.
The research was supported by NHMRC, Inflazome, The Michael J Fox Foundation and Shake it Up Australia Foundation.
Shake It Up Australia Foundation Chief Executive Officer Vicki Miller said they were proud to have supported this ground-breaking project along with their partners at The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
“Inflammation in the brain has been a key focus area in Parkinson’s research for some time, and we are thrilled to see the progress made in developing effective treatments that not only address this symptom but actually halt the progression of the disease,” Ms Miller said.
“Slowing and stopping progression is the future of Parkinson’s research, and this breakthrough could accelerate future important discoveries.”
The research is published in Brain.
