Research aims to stop eye disease returning

30 October 2026

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Health and medicine, Sustainable impact

Hidden inflammation may help explain why a sight-threatening eye disease often returns after treatment.

Researchers at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, will test whether adding the drug tonabersat to standard steroid treatment can reduce recurrence in people with non-infectious uveitis.

The project is backed by a $150,000 Health Research Council Explorer Grant.

About 40 percent of people with non-infectious uveitis experience a recurrence within 10 years, increasing their risk of permanent vision loss, says Professor Ilva Rupenthal. Similar patterns occur across other autoimmune conditions, affecting 20 to 50 percent of patients within one to five years, she says.

Earlier preclinical research showed that while corticosteroids reduced visible inflammation, they did not appear to affect an underlying pathway linked to recurrence.

"What surprised us is that corticosteroids don't seem to block the chronic inflammatory pathway we are investigating."

Professor Ilva Rupenthal, director of the Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, says standard treatment may not address all forms of inflammation associated with the condition.

"Corticosteroids are great because you need to dampen down acute inflammation. But we also need to address any potential low-grade chronic inflammation because if we address that as well, we could cut the cycle and potentially prevent future relapses."

The finding raised the possibility that the condition remains active beneath the surface after treatment ends.

Rupenthal is working with Dr Lola Mugisho, head of the Inflammasome Biology Group, and Associate Professor Rachael Niederer, a uveitis specialist. Together, they will investigate whether signs of ongoing inflammation remain high in patients receiving steroid treatment.

Uveitis affects the middle layer of the eye and can cause pain, discomfort and blurred vision. Repeated episodes can damage the eye, increase the risk of permanent vision loss and lead to ongoing specialist care.

Researchers will track how acute inflammation becomes chronic and identify biological markers that could help pinpoint patients who may benefit from future therapies and clinical trials.

"If we're right that this chronic inflammation cycle is responsible for the condition returning, cutting it could mean patients don't experience relapses as often or as severely."

Rupenthal says the findings could help develop treatments that reduce relapses, lessen the need for specialist care and improve long-term outcomes for people living with autoimmune eye disease.

Media contact

Caryn Wilkinson | Media adviser
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