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Project

Sensory signalling in the bladder during urinary tract infections: mechanisms of sensitisation and implications for bladder function.

Bacterial infections of the urinary tract are amongst the most
common infections in human. These infections cause significant
bother in affected patients and impose a high burden on our
healthcare system. Although these patients can successfully be
treated with antibiotics, a subset will develop recurrent infections,
without a clear underlying cause. Moreover, the bacteria causing
these infections have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics
over the last decades, making them more difficult to treat. It has
recently been proven that increasing fluid intake can reduce the
susceptibility to recurrent urinary tract infections in women. However,
the relationship between the bladder function (how urine is stored
and expelled) and the susceptibility to urinary tract infections is
poorly understood.
In this research project we will study how modulating bladder function
can alter the susceptibility to urinary tract infections. We will
specifically focus on a group of ion channels, called Transient
Receptor Potential Channels.
First, we will test if bladder dysfunction is linked to urinary tract
infections, next, we will test if these ion channels take part in the
defence mechanisms of the urinary tract against urinary tract
infections. This research project can provide new insights into how to
prevent and treat (recurrent) urinary tract infections.

Date:1 Jan 2022 →  Today
Keywords:Urinary tract infections, Transient Receptor potential channels, Bladder physiology
Disciplines:Pathophysiology, Infectious diseases, Organ physiology, Urology, Urological surgery