Grant: Catalyst Grant: NWHRI: Innovation Fund - Biomedical Discovery Grants

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a challenging chronic pain condition that disproportionally affects women. Approximately 10-20% of patients with IC/BPS suffer from a more severe form of the disease due to the presence of inflammatory lesions called Hunner lesions (HL). Patients with HL-IC/BPS suffer significant pelvic pain and bothersome urinary symptoms - the disease has a profoundly negative impact on quality of life, physical and sexual function, and mental health. There is no cure for HL-IC/BPS and treatment options are limited and often ineffective, in part because we do not know what causes this disease. Research funding for HL-IC/BPS is severely lacking and as a result, major advancements in the treatment of this disease have never been achieved. Our goal is to investigate the mechanisms that cause disease to uncover new treatment options for patients with HL-IC/BPS. We think that HL-IC/BPS is an autoimmune disease. To study this, we will use mouse models to understand how self-reactive immune cells contribute to the onset and progression of this disease. We will also use robust health administrative databases to understand if patients with autoimmune diseases are also more likely to be diagnosed with HL-IC/BPS. Results of our work will be a valuable contribution to the HL-IC/BPS field and importantly may have a profound impact on how we approach disease management.