{"id":71493,"date":"2026-05-21T13:58:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T03:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hudson.org.au\/?post_type=hdsn_news_post&p=71493"},"modified":"2026-05-21T15:38:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T05:38:57","slug":"more-evidence-that-anakinra-helps-repair-the-newborn-brain","status":"publish","type":"hdsn_news_post","link":"https:\/\/hudson.org.au\/news\/more-evidence-that-anakinra-helps-repair-the-newborn-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"More evidence that anakinra helps repair the newborn brain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A treatment already being trialled to reduce the impacts of perinatal inflammation on the newborn brain appears to be more effective than first thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists at Hudson Institute of Medical Research, working with Monash University and Monash Health, have been trialling the anti-inflammatory drug anakinra to restore healthy brain development in babies at high risk of conditions such as cerebral palsy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Rob Galinsky<\/a>, Head of the Perinatal Inflammation and Neurophysiology Laboratory, says it\u2019s been known for a long time that exposure to inflammation at or around the time of birth is strongly linked to the development of cerebral palsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor several years we have been working on blocking a key inflammatory pathway in the brain, using anakinra, to maintain healthy brain development and function, and the results have been promising,\u201d Dr Galinsky said. \u201c\u2026but our latest pre-clinical research (published in Neuropharmacology<\/em><\/a>) suggests that the beneficial effects could go way beyond what we first expected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsing a combination of molecular biology and measures of brain structure and function in our pre-clinical model, we\u2019ve now shown that anakinra rescues growth and function of neuronal connections (‘the wiring’) in the part of the brain responsible for movement, sensation and cognition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anakinra restoring development of newborn brain circuits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis latest research shows that anakinra is restoring the development of brain circuits that are essential for healthy brain function,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First author Dr Sharmony Kelly says this research identifies much wider benefits in protecting fragile newborn brains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPreviously our understanding of anakinra\u2019s neuroprotective effects was limited to the cells in the brain that make myelin,\u201d she said. \u201cBut this work tells us the restorative effects extend to improving the development of neuronal connections and their function.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat means it doesn\u2019t just reduce brain inflammation, it protects how the perinatal brain wires itself, preserving both neuronal structure and function after inflammatory injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOverall, the study strengthens anakinra’s potential as a targeted neuroprotective therapy in perinatal medicine,\u201d Dr Kelly said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What causes cerebral palsy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Around 34,000 Australians have cerebral palsy. Every 20 hours, an Australian baby is born with a brain injury that underlies cerebral palsy. It is a permanent, life-long condition with no cure.<\/p>\n

Being born prematurely (before the 37th<\/sup>\u00a0week of pregnancy) is a major risk factor.<\/p>\n

Babies born at 32 weeks or earlier are at a particularly high risk; up to 50 percent of children with cerebral palsy were born preterm.<\/p>\n

Other causes include:<\/p>\n

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