The University of Queensland (UQ) conducts two research projects on treating motor neuron disease (MND). During the Global MND Awareness Day held on June 21, 2023, it was announced that the studies would receive funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Spider Venom as Potential Drug
Dr. Fernanda Cardoso from the Institute of Molecular Bioscience led one of the two studies. Dr. Cardoso focuses on harnessing ProTx-III, a molecule from the Peruvian green velvet tarantula, as she investigates its potential to slow down the impact of MND. She believes that the molecule from spider venom can prevent nerve deterioration that causes muscle weakness. It can also stop the buildup of toxic neurotransmitters, which deliver signals from one neuron to another.
Dr. Cardoso also collaborated with Honorary Senior Fellow Dr. Jean Giacomotto from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute. Using a zebrafish model of MND, the team demonstrated the role of ProTx-III in preventing nerve degeneration. They are now conducting further investigations and plan to progress to clinical trials.
The second project from UQ that received a research grant from the U.S. Department of Defense involves addressing MND from another angle using PET scanning. Diagnosing MND and measuring its progression accurately is difficult because it differs among patients, according to Honorary Professor Michael O'Sullivan. They conducted the first pilot study in MND patients in response to this challenge. They used a new form of dye that can connect to a molecule that clears neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord.
Developed by Rio Pharmaceuticals, the dye has the potential to show various spatial patterns which can be tracked by scientists over time. They plan to test their hypothesis on 35 participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This disease is the most common adult-onset type of MND, with a survival rate of only three years.
What is Motor Neuron Disease?
Motor neurons are the specialist cells in the brain and spinal cord that allow a person to speak, move, swallow, breathe, and perform other activities. They play a significant role in voluntary and involuntary movements by allowing the brain and spinal cord to communicate with the body's organs, muscles, and glands.
Although motor neurons have short dendrites, their nerve fibers are the longest axons in the body, stretching from the base of the spinal cord to the end of the toes. These specialist cells are divided into upper or lower motor neurons, which form complex circuits throughout the body.
When the motor neurons stop working properly and die prematurely, a person experiences motor neuron disease. Also known as neurodegeneration, this disease is a rare medical condition that damages some parts of a person's nervous system. MND gradually stops the signals from the motor neurons and prevents them from reaching the muscles. As a result, the muscles get weak, stiff, and wasted, affecting a person's ability to talk, walk, eat, drink, and breathe.
The disease affects individuals differently, and since the symptoms progress at different speeds, it becomes difficult for health experts to predict its course. Currently, there is still no cure for MND, and doctors merely manage the symptoms to help the patients achieve the best quality of life.
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