A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH BRINGS NEW HOPE… – Australian scientists have announced a promising breakthrough in the search for a treatment for Motor Neurone Disease, offering fresh hope to families affected by the devastating illness—including NRL star Jai Arrow.
For the first time since former NRL star Jai Arrow was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, there is fresh hope that a treatment capable of slowing the devastating illness could be within reach.
Researchers at The University of Queensland have announced a world-first breakthrough that they believe could pave the way for an anti-inflammatory drug to be tested in MND patients within the next five years.
The announcement comes as the rugby league community rallies behind the former South Sydney Rabbitohs and Queensland Maroons forward, who was forced to retire after being diagnosed with the incurable disease at just 30 years old.
Arrow has since travelled to Spain seeking specialised treatment, while the NRL has launched its ‘Jai July’ campaign to raise funds and awareness for him and other Australians living with MND.
The UQ-led international research team developed a new drug known as R8Y, which successfully targets a notoriously difficult immune receptor called C5aR2.
The discovery has enabled scientists to uncover the receptor’s molecular structure for the first time, providing crucial insight into how inflammation could be controlled in neurodegenerative diseases including MND, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Jai Arrow’s MND battle receives a boost after Australian scientists announce a breakthrough that could change future treatment forever
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University of Queensland researchers believe a new drug could be tested in MND patients within five years after breakthrough discovery
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Arrow continues fighting MND as researchers edge closer to treatments that could slow the devastating neurological disease significantly
Professor Trent Woodruff said the findings could dramatically change the outlook for future patients.
‘With this knowledge, it’s possible we could have an anti-inflammatory drug treatment for testing in MND patients within 5 years, possibly turning the disease into a long-term chronic condition rather than an acute terminal illness,’ Professor Woodruff said.
He explained that the team’s newly developed drug had unlocked a mystery that had frustrated researchers for years.
‘The drug we developed as part of this study, called R8Y, is a molecule that specifically binds to C5aR2.
‘This allowed us to see the structure and function of the receptor which led to the discovery that C5aR2 does not behave like most other receptors.
‘It is unable to couple to G proteins – a rare and important distinction which explains why it’s been so difficult to target and why its role in inflammation has been so elusive.
‘Using the drug we created, our international partners created a model of the drug bound to the receptor, giving us vital information around how the drug binds to the receptor and how the receptor signals.’
Using those findings, UQ researchers are now working to develop improved anti-inflammatory drugs designed specifically for hard-to-treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Professor Trent Woodruff hopes their world-first discovery could eventually turn Motor Neurone Disease into a manageable long-term chronic condition for patients
Associate Professor Richard Clark said the breakthrough was only possible because of the international collaboration between researchers across Australia, Japan, South Korea, India and Europe.
‘This global effort demonstrates the power of cross-disciplinary and cross-border collaboration in tackling complex biomedical challenges,’ Dr Clark said.
‘With this new ability to selectively target the C5aR2 receptor, we can develop safer, more effective drugs with fewer side effects.’
Arrow is not the first Australian sporting great to confront the cruel disease.
Former Queensland State of Origin enforcer Carl Webb was diagnosed with MND in 2020 at the age of 39 after starring for the North Queensland Cowboys, Brisbane Broncos and Queensland.
Webb became a passionate advocate for research and established the Carl Webb Foundation to support families affected by the disease before his death in December 2023, aged 42.
In the AFL, former Essendon champion and Melbourne coach Neale Daniher transformed the fight against MND after revealing his diagnosis in 2014.
Daniher founded FightMND and became the face of MND awareness in Australia, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for research through the charity’s fundraising campaigns.
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Carl Webb’s legacy lives on as researchers continue searching for better treatments to combat the devastating effects of Motor Neurone Disease
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Neale Daniher’s tireless FightMND campaign helped drive awareness as scientists edge closer to another major breakthrough for patients everywhere
His extraordinary advocacy earned him Australian of the Year honours before he died in May this year following a courageous 13-year battle with the disease.
Former Hawthorn premiership player Geoff Ablett also died from MND in May after a brief battle, further highlighting the devastating impact the disease has had on Australia’s sporting community.
For Arrow, whose diagnosis has already affected his speech, the breakthrough offers fresh hope for future MND treatments.
The breakthrough follows another major milestone announced by UQ after researchers helped launch Australia’s first unified national database for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of MND.
The database combines clinical information and biological samples from more than 1,300 Australian patients, creating what researchers hope will become a powerful platform for accelerating earlier diagnosis, clinical trials and the development of future treatments.
