BOTU Current Research

The Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit (BOTU) aims to develop and translate ocular therapeutic related scientific research into the clinical setting, whether pharmaceutical, cell, or technology-based. Current research focusses on the evaluation of novel drug therapies for the treatment of sight-threatening diseases with an inflammatory component, as well as the development of novel preclinical models of such diseases. Moreover, we are investigating novel molecules and drug delivery systems that can be targeted specifically to diseased cells while also offering sustained drug release over time.

Find out more about our current projects below:

This project will investigate a novel eye drop that tackles both tear film instability and inflammation to break the vicious circle of dry eye disease (DED). Combining a novel inflammasome inhibitor with a lipid layer stabilizing vehicle, formulation characterisation and preclinical efficacy will be investigated while also performing clinical investigations to confirm inflammasome activation in DED patients.

Funding

This project is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand [20/317] and the Buchanan Charitable Foundation.
 

Key staff and students

• Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal (Principal Investigator)
• Professor Jennifer Craig (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Stuti Misra (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Priyanka Agarwal (Associate Investigator)
• Santosh Bhujbal (Doctoral Candidate)
• Dian Zhuang (Doctoral Candidate)

This project explores the use of ocular derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biomarkers for ocular disease progression as well as their potential to act as efficient drug delivery systems.

Funding

This project is funded by the Buchanan Charitable Foundation and supported by HEVI.

Key staff and students

• Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal (Principal Investigator)
• Dr Lola Mugisho (Associate Investigator)
• Professor Larry Chamley (Associate Investigator)
• Associate Professor Zimei Wu (Associate Investigator)
• Henry Louie (Doctoral Candidate)

The inflammasome pathway is part of the innate immune system that can potentiate cell death in chronic diseases. This project aims to understand the pathogenesis of the inflammasome in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and test the efficacy of inflammasome therapies to treat the disease.

Funding

This project is funded by Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust, the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes, the New Horizons for Women Trust Margaret L Bailey Science Award, the New Zealand Association of Optometrists National Educational Research Fund and the New Zealand Optometric and Vision Research Fund.

Key staff and students

• Dr Lola Mugisho (Principal Investigator)
• Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal (Associate Investigator)
• Associate Professor Rinki Murphy (Associate Investigator)
• Charisse Kuo (Doctoral Candidate)

Project outputs

Journal articles:

This project aims to determine the efficacy of inflammasome-blocking drugs for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis. This includes the development and characterisation of an inflammasome blocker eye drop, the investigation of drug efficacy in a uveitis animal model and the assessment of inflammasome markers in uveitis patients.

Funding

This project is funded by the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust and the Buchanan Charitable Foundation.

Key staff and students

• Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal (Principal Investigator)
• Dr Lola Mugisho (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Stuti Misra (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Rachael Niederer (Associate Investigator)
• Avik Shome (Doctoral Candidate)

This project aims to understand how the inflammasome pathway controls key age-related pathological processes in neuroinflammatory diseases affecting both the eye and brain. It then aims to determine whether inflammasome-targeting therapies can halt or reverse disease progression using in vitro and in vivo aging models.

Funding

This project is funded by the Neurological Foundation.

Key staff and students

• Dr Lola Mugisho (Principal Investigator)
• Dr Andrea Kwakowsky (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Amatul Ahmad (Research Technician)
• Marvelous Adesina (Masters Candidate)
• Fariha Fatima (Masters Candidate)

Funding

This project is funded by the Buchanan Charitable Foundation and the Leather and Shoe Research Association.

Key staff and students

• Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal (Principal Investigator)
• Dr Sachin Thakur (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Sujay Prabakar (Associate Investigator)
• Yosra Agban (Doctoral Candidate)

In this project we are aiming to develop a scleral implant based on a porous conducting polymer that is able to provide tuneable drug release (based on the disease progression) over prolonged periods of time by application of a small electrical stimulus, thus resulting in more efficacious and patient-friendly treatment. In addition, we are investigating the pressure sensing capability of such porous conducting polymer structures with the ultimate aim to create a self-regulating implant including wireless power technology for optimal glaucoma management.

Funding

This project was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand [14/018], the Buchanan Charitable Foundation, and the University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FRDF).

Key staff and students

• Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal (Principal Investigator)
• Associate Professor Darren Svirskis (Associate Investigator)
• Dr Duleepa Thrimawithana (Associate Investigator)
• Qing Xu (Doctoral Candidate)
• Dr Naveed Yasin (previous Doctoral Candidate)