Prize-winning research on genetic markers

Professor Matthew Brown from The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute has been awarded the $1.25 million Premier’s Science Fellowship to develop his work in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis.

UQ will match the state funding dollar for dollar to further support Brown’s research.

“Rheumatoid arthritis affects 2.5% of Queenslanders and more than 513,000 Australians,” Professor Brown said. “There are no treatments to prevent it, or to induce remission.”

Tuberculosis remains a  concern around the world with a rise in cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis being reported in Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait islands. The lack of useful treatments means this disease is often fatal.

Although rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and tuberculosis a chronic infection, Brown said the two shared susceptibility factors, so research into the diseases was related.

“Immunity against TB is highly heritable so a person’s genetic make-up is a significant determinant of whether they develop or clear the infection,” he said.

Brown said the fellowship funding would enable his Translational Research Institute team - working in a tri-nation partnership with researchers from China and Norway - to spend the next five years identifying genes that underlie the causes of rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis.

“We expect to roll out affordable diagnostic tests within five years, paving the way for new treatments targeting the root cause of the diseases,” he said of the work, which shows how partnering between clinicians, scientists, academic institutes and industry can achieve productive outcomes.

In the past, Brown has taken out three patents for tests to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis - a severe type of arthritis affecting more than 80,000 Australians - and his genetic findings on that have led to treatment trials.